Fitting a garage door is not a DIY task everyone will want to try, but with the right tools, planning and instruction, it can be achieved by most people.
Whilst there are many forms of garage door on the market, home-owners looking for a suitable design for DIY installation should seriously consider installing an insulated roller door as they are relatively easy to fit, provide the user with many benefits including thermal performance, high levels of security and automation as standard.
As such please read the following guidelines that will demonstrate the fitting process in a clear and concise manner.
Pre-installation Checks
Once the door has been delivered and you are ready to start the fitting process it is important to carry out some pre installation checks.
Create a clean and safe working area both inside and outside the garage.
As the door is designed to fit to the back face of the opening (inside the garage) you should ensure that the surface is flat and smooth. Any irregularities such as loose plaster or protruding bricks should be removed at this point as failure to do so will result in the vertical guides sitting incorrectly.
Check both walls are parallel.
Unpacking the Door
Insulated roller garage doors are supplied in a kit format with all parts pre cut to length to make installation faster and easier. When unpacking the components please take care not to cut or mark the paintwork as this will show up in the finished installation.
Carefully remove the packaging from the guides and place one on each side of the opening making sure that they are the correct way round (you can tell this as the spacer leg should be away from the wall)
Remove the other components and set aside for use further into the installation.
Setting Out The Installation
Provided the garage door has been ordered correctly then setting out the installation is really simple as the edge of the guides will sit flush with the edge of the structural opening.
Preparing the Guides
To ensure the best possible fixing position is achieved on site, the guides will have been supplied undrilled.
Positioning & Drilling
Take the first guide channel and measure 150mm from the top and bottom and place a mark in the location with a pencil. Then simply divide the remaining space into equal sections and place a mark at each interval (as shown in the above diagram).
Once the location of the fixing holes has been established use an appropriate 7mm drill bit to create a hole through both sections of the guide.
Repeat the process with a 10mm drill bit only this time make sure you only drill through the outer face of the guide channel. Drilling the holes in this manner will allow for the fixing to be hidden by plastic cover grommets for a neater install.
Assembling the Guides and Shutter Box
Take the shutter box from the packaging and remove the 45 degree fascia as this will make installation led fiddly.
Located on the edge of each endplate will be a metal lug that is used for connecting to the guides. To connect the 2 simply slot the top section of the guide into place so that it is securely in place.
Carefully lift the door components up off the floor and place them to the back face of the structural opening so that the internal edge of each guide is flush with the edge of the opening.
Using a spirit level plumb both guide section to ensure they are vertical and mark the location of the fixing holes on the brickwork.
Pull the guides to one side and drill all the fixing holes and insert the correct wall plugs for the material you are fixing to.
Put the guides back into position and screw into place checking for plumb. At this stage be careful not to over tighten the fixings as it can distort the metal.
Fixing the Endplates
With the guides securely fixed you will need to fix the endplates to the back of the lintel by drilling a 7mm hole top and bottom and fixing in place using the appropriate fixings.
Completing this additional fixing will not only help stabilise the shutter box but will also stop it from spreading apart if it ever gets knocked by a tall vehicle or object inside the garage.
Installing the Door Curtain
Once the guides, shutter box and endplates have been installed you will need to install the door curtain. This will be supplied rolled up (a bit like a carpet roll).
Take a piece of bubble wrapping and place it over the barrel of the roller mechanism to prevent the curtain marking as it is installed.
Lift the curtain up into place by feeding it over the barrel and down into the u channel profile on the guides.
Continue feeding the curtain in until the door reaches the fully closed position.
Slide the rigid links onto the top profile of the door so that it is possible to connect the curtain to the barrel.
Position the link`s so they line up with the collars attached to the barrel and slide the pins into place.
Wiring Up
Take the wall mounted control box and attach to the wall within 1-2 metres of the inside of the door
Remove the cover and unfasten the relevant grub screws inside for powering the motor
Take the cable from the motor and wire into the relevant ports on the control box
Securely fasten all fixing and replace the cover.
The control box can now be plugged straight into a standard 240v socket.
Setting the Travel Limits on the Motor
To stop the motor at a predetermined point at the top and bottom of its opening and closing cycle it is important that the limits are set correctly.
Manually wind the door to the top of the opening so that a minimum of 50mm of the bottom lath of the door is still below the lintel.
On the side of the motor will be a button to push (usually shows an up arrow). Fully depress this then release. The top limit is now set.
Repeat the process for the bottom limit and the door should not be set up to work via remote control operation.
Fitting the Front Cover
With the door fully set up and working now is the time to reinstall the front cover to prevent dust and debris clogging up the roller mechanism. The fascia should just slot into place between the endplates and be held in place using some self tapping screws of rivets.
If you have read this article and now feel that you would like to take on the challenge of fitting your own insulated roller door on a DIY basis we suggest you take a look at a specialist supplier such as Roller Garage Door Sale as they are one of the UK`s leading suppliers of high quality insulated garage doors that are suitable for any residential environment.