Is It Hard to Install a Manual Garage Door?

A garage is an essential part of your property for residential and commercial purposes, especially today. A garage is also a budget-friendly option than expanding your property or considering additions that could be expensive and challenging to meet your property aesthetics. You could still turn your garage into a storage place to avoid a cluttered area. Regardless, another essential thing to consider is the type of garage door installation.

You could decide on a manual or an automatic door. And when it comes to the installation differences for such doors, you also need to understand each based on their instructions and installation costs comprehensively. And when it comes to manual garage doors, industry experts like those from Chicago Garage Door in Cary help their customers understand everything about installing a manual garage door. Plus, if you’re still confused about whether or not installing a manual garage door is complex or effortless, let’s explore the subject in detail below.

Understanding a Manual Garage Door and How to Install It

Unlike regular doors, installing any garage door isn’t always an effortless process without an ultimate guide on how you can effortlessly handle the project. But unlike an automatic garage door, installing a manual door is more straightforward and safe. A manual door is effortless to install because it’s lighter and doesn’t need motors and cables.

On top of that, aside from being effortless to install, a manual garage door is also affordable and easy to fix because it doesn’t have many parts or needs complex attention to identify malfunctions. For example, while an automatic door has a radio-operated motor, a manual one doesn’t reduce the odds of break-ins, especially if your automatic door controls and radio-operated motors land in the wrong hands. 

With a manual garage door, you only require a key that you can always carry. If you lose it, you could effortlessly rekey it or even replace it, limiting unauthorized people from accessing your garage.

How to Easily Install a Manual Garage Door

Regardless of the manual garage door size and model, almost all manual doors are effortless to install. To install, you first need to secure the door with a torsion spring system, get a drill, the door’s bits, and a hex wrench or use an open-end wrench. Next, follow the below guidelines.

Attach the Door’s Flag Bracket to the Jamb

Once you have your drill and the installation wrench you decide to use, the next step after securing the door is attaching the flag bracket and the door’s horizontal angle to the jamb. A garage door jamb is the section of the door that looks like a trimmed piece and covers the door’s frames. 

During the installation, connect this section to the door’s horizontal angled section to cover the rough framings and offer a mounting location to perfectly seal the door.

Connect the Torsion Tubs and Springs and Place Them in Their Relevant Brackets

A manual garage door’s torsion tubs or tubes are the steel shafts that run the length of the door. These tubs help the door maintain its tension on springs, thus withstand push on closing and opening. 

In addition, the torsion tubs also help lift the door and prevent it from slating, especially when opened or closed with excessive force. So, place these tubs correctly during installation by connecting them to the springs before putting them on their brackets. This way, the door fastens efficiently and helps you notice slanting and other installation mistakes that could compromise the door’s functionality.

Measure the Door’s Length and Release the Springs

Immediately you finish connecting the torsion tubs to the springs and placing them in their brackets, measure the door’s length, and release the springs. Then, tighten the screws to the torsion tubes. When done, secure the door from the left side drum and the right side drum. 

Afterward, attach the wind springs and the tube retainers before testing the door. And during the testing, open it slowly and listen to if the springs release any sounds. Or, open it with excessive force and watch if it’s slanted or opens straight as expected. 

If you hear the springs releasing any sound, tighten them. Or, if the door slants, move it at the center or the proper standing position, then firmly screw the springs and every loosened part. This way, the door can withstand excessive force and still work perfectly regardless of the things you store in the garage.