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Installation is easy with a
handy kit. |
Like an electronic greeter, your
automatic garage door opener welcomes you home. It allows you to enter the garage
without getting out of your vehicle, thereby enhancing security and protecting
you from the elements. It can even turn on a light as it opens.
This article illustrates the basic steps involved in the installation of a garage
door opener. In most cases, an opener system can be installed by one person during
the course of an afternoon. However, there are some steps that are easier for
a two-person crew to carry out. Always follow the manufacturer's directions for
the actual installation of your chosen unit. Lowe's is happy to provide this information
as a service to you.
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MATERIALS
 Garage door
opener |
How Openers Work
Garage door openers come in three
basic types—screw drive, chain drive and belt drive. Screw drive systems
require no chains or belts, and never require adjustment. This how-to focuses
on a screw drive system, although the most basic elements of installation are
similar for the different systems. The motor sizes are usually 1/3 or 1/2 horsepower.
New models include federally-mandated safety features that reverse the door if
it hits an object. Better models also include an infrared beam system that reverses
the door if anything crosses the beam while the door is in operation. For additional
security, features such as "rolling code" systems which reset a new
code each time the opener is used are also available.
Preparations For Installation
The openers come with 40" power
cords, which require that electrical outlets be installed within 36" of the
motor head. Some municipalities require that openers be wired directly to circuit
breakers. All openers must be mounted at least 7' off the floor. Check your local
building codes and have the appropriate wiring installed.
 Secure
the motor head to the ceiling framework.
The openers produce torque as they lift
and lower the door. To prevent the opener's motor head from vibrating loose and
falling to the floor, its mounting bracket must be fastened securely to the framing
of the garage. If no appropriate framing exists where you intend to mount the
opener, you might need to add some secure framing. Since each garage is different,
it is difficult to demonstrate framing enhancement techniques that will work in
all situations. A common installation involves laying a 40" piece of 2"x6"
lumber across three ceiling joists and securing it with six 3" #10 wood screws.
Although many homeowners may think
that openers actually lift their garage doors, the heavy work is done by the door
spring system. If the springs are set properly, the door lifts easily and does
not slip down when it is opened to the halfway position. If the door is not properly
balanced, you might need a professional to service the springs. (See Replacing
a Garage Door.)
Assembling The Opener
Assembling the opener is
straightforward.
Turn
the power head upside down on a piece of cardboard, exposing the mounting hole
for the rail.
Line up the three rail
sections and joinery hardware in position on the floor.
Assemble the system according
to the manufacturer's directions. The most time-consuming part of the assembly
process in a screw drive system is the installation of collars that secure the
joints in the drive screw sections of the rails.
 Good
idea:
If the opener rail is too long for your garage, the end can be trimmed with a
hacksaw before the opener is hung. |
Hanging The Opener  Secure
the header mounting bracket to the frame.
The opener comes with a header-mounting bracket that must be fastened with lag
screws (included with the opener) to the framing of the garage. It should be installed
1/4" to the right of the center of the door and 4" above the horizontal
section of the door track. Often, the bracket can be mounted directly onto the
2" x 6" header above the door, the cripple studs above the header or
the top plate of the garage wall. If it cannot be secured to the existing framing,
you may have to augment the garage framing by nailing in an extra cripple stud
for the bracket.
Attach
the mounting straps (supplied with the opener) to the appropriate holes in the
opener head. Cross the mounting straps in the middle and bolt them together to
add stability to the motor mount.
Position a stepladder
directly under the framing onto which you intend to fasten the opener motor. Mark
the framing for the motor at the central point between the two garage door tracks.
To mount the rail end
of the opener, insert the threaded end of the rail strap into the hole in the
header-mounting bracket over the garage door. Secure it with the rail strap nut.
Lift the motor end of
the opener onto the ladder, climb the ladder and lift the motor into position.
Check that the opener rail is level and then use lag screws to secure the motor
to the garage framing, making sure that it is centered between the two door tracks.
If your garage door does
not come equipped with a door drive-mounting bracket, use the one supplied by
the manufacturer of the garage door. Most newer model garage doors come equipped
with mounting brackets for automatic openers. Attach the door opener to the mounting
bracket.
Electronic Controls
Some openers come equipped either
with wall buttons that operate the light and the opener simultaneously, or wall
consoles that also allow you to turn on the lights independently and to turn off
all power to the system when you go on vacation. These controls must be mounted
at least 5' off the ground to keep them out of reach of small children.
 An
infrared system is an important safety feature.
The infrared system is one of the most important safety features in a garage door
system. It consists of a pair of small boxes. One box sends a beam and the other
receives it. The boxes mount on brackets near the base of the garage doorjamb,
and are then wired to terminals on the motor head. If anything obstructs the beam
when the door is in motion, the door stops immediately.
The upward and downward torque dials
on the motor must be turned down as far as possible. Test the downward torque
setting by placing a roll of paper towels under the door and allowing the door
to descend. If it just begins to squash the roll before the door reverses itself,
the downward torque is set properly. If not, it must be adjusted. The upward torque
should be set to the lowest possible point that will lift the door.
These
How-To's are provided as a service from Lowe's, the Original Home Improvement
Warehouse of How-To Information for the World Wide Web. The information in Lowe's
"How-To" clinics is intended to simplify jobs around the house. Tools,
products, materials, techniques, building codes and local regulations change;
therefore, Lowe's assumes no liability for omissions, errors or the outcome of
any project. The reader must always exercise reasonable caution, follow applicable
codes and regulations, and is urged to consult with a professional if in doubt
about any procedures. Please read our terms of use.
©
1998 Lowe's Home Centers, Inc. All rights reserved.
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