A Guide to Installing Garage Doors

(1) Choose the right garage door for your needs. 

 

(2) Get a professional supplier. 

 

(3) Compare quotes to understand the cost. 

 

(4) Carefully read the instruction guide to your door and install your automated garage door. 

 

(5) Complete your final checks and book in maintenance. 

There are a wide variety of garage doors you can choose from when looking for installation. The simplest and cheapest to install are up-and-over garage doors, but are becoming less popular because they take up a large amount of space in a garage compared to other automated doors. They also require you to physically put up and down the door, something physically impossible for some seniors or disabled people, and still straining on the average person, who spends on average 400 hours over their life doing this tedious task. 

 

Up-and-over automatic doors are better than traditional non-automated variants because they lock automatically upon closure and are harder for burglars to break into thanks to their inbuilt security features. They are the cheapest and easiest kind of garage door to install, making them a popular choice for first-time installers. 

 

Roller garage doors or roller shutters are a good-looking automated door which creates extra space in your garage by opening vertically and collecting itself at the top of your front garage door. The SeceuroGlide classic roller shutter is popular thanks to the lower Seceuroglide roller door prices, while the SeceuroGlide Excel provides extra security – it is the staple choice for the police and insurance companies for that reason. 

Finally, the most complicated variety are sectional garage doors. They are made of separate sections rather than vertically-rising panels, so you do not lose any space at the front of your garage. Their design makes them the most complicated to install, mainly because of the need for all sections to sync together within the operating system. For garages with extremely tight installation spaces, the SeceuroGlide Compact System is incredibly valuable, requiring just eight inches of headroom, and comes with a remote control keypad for controlling your door alongside an external override. We strongly recommend you talk to our team before installing one of these doors yourself. 

 

If you do not know which garage door you need, we have written a guide here to help you make the right choice, and if you would like further assistance, please give us a call or leave us a message and we would be happy to get in touch to help you with any enquiries. 

Safety and quality are paramount when choosing your garage door. A door can be expected to last decades with proper maintenance and service, so making sure you purchase and receive all the equipment you need is essential. 

 

Key qualifications from a supplier to look out for are SafeContractors, Chas, ConstructionLine, and are a registered ISO 9001 company. The first two are health and safety organisations that, among other things, require those working in construction to maintain certain standards for their customers. ConstructionLine assesses the health and safety of businesses as a whole and qualify businesses as maintaining certain high quality standards. ADIA is also the City and Guilds qualification for door technicians. Their membership means your supplier is on the door safe register and recognized by ADIA to be able to work safely and legally on automated doors. Membership of DHF (the Door and Hardware Federation) is also something to watch out for, as it means your supplier stays up to day about all recent developments in their industry through their membership for our industry organisation. 

While we provide competitive prices, it is not always possible or suitable to install certain products in specific locations. Sometimes too small a vertical headroom clearance means an up-and-over shutter is impractical, for example. 

 

Meeting with an expert about your needs before purchasing or beginning installations is always a critical step in the installation process. This can give you the reassurance that your project is possible for your skills and garage. 

Once your supplies are delivered, look through the instructions to make sure you have all the tools you need and all the parts for your garage door. Most garage doors instructions also have instructions available online in PDF form, and some video tutorials are available online, but all garage doors will come with instructions for assembly. 

Take time to read the instructions, particularly any wiring information and connecting motors to your doors. Directions vary from door to door, so familiarising yourself with your instruction manual is crucial to installation. 

Finally, once your door is installed and working – check! Make sure your remote control and any external or emergency overrides are functional. In particular, make sure the internal override works so you cannot get stuck locked into your own garage. As you go, make sure rivets are tightly secured so your door will last, all rails are correctly fastened, and debris is kept clear of the moving parts of your new garage door. 

 

You should also, at this early a stage, start thinking about maintenance. You ought to book support annually if you expect to use it twice a day, or sooner if it is in more regular use. Make a note of a day when you will book in the future to keep your door in the best condition. 

At Zenith Doors we want to make sure you get exactly what you need. That is why we offer free our expert advice, provide onsite consultation, and can even remove and dispose of your old garage door if you go ahead with installing your garage door. Get in touch today for support by sending us a message via our online message form or call us on 0800 0181 550.