If the garage door in your home is so flimsy it feels as if it is going to be blown away by a strong wind, you should consider installing some reinforcement. After all, you do not want it blowing into your car when you least expect it. Read on to find out why a garage door might need to be reinforced, how a garage door can be reinforced and why these preventive measures are needed.
Why Should a Garage Door be Reinforced?
Garage doors are used very frequently. Also, they cover a large area. Many people end up using their garage doors as the main point of entry into the home, multiplying the number of times these doors go up and down by quite a bit. The garage door’s surface is hit by wind, rain, hail, sports equipment, gardening tools, ice, snow, and other items. This results in a weakening of the doors. When a garage door opener is used in winter, when the seal on the door is frozen and forced to move, it may rip apart. To avoid and prevent all these issues, reinforcing the door is an excellent way to prolong its life and performance.
How Should a Garage Door be Reinforced?
In cases where the garage door has already been installed, there are certain steps you can take to reinforce it. At the top and center of the garage door, you will find the attachment for the automatic opener. At the bottom of the door, there are corner brackets through which the torsion spring system is being directed. This means that there is a need to install reinforcements throughout the door, from top to bottom.
Install a Bracket At The Top
Start by installing a garage door opener reinforcement bracket at the top. This is needed because the bracket that usually comes with the system does not always evenly distribute the force needed to pull the garage door up. By installing an adjustable operator reinforcement bracket on the top panel of your door you will prevent the center style from separating from the base of the door panel. Go for a narrow adjustable opener mounting bracket that is strong enough for all residential doors.
Install Horizontal Bracing
Horizontal braces or struts should be installed on the inside of the garage door and screwed into each metal style location. Horizontal struts are more commonly installed in coastal areas where wind and tropical storms can wreak havoc on your door. However, if you do decide to add additional struts to your existing door, keep in mind that you would also have to adjust the spring tension or replace the springs completely. For any weight over 10 lbs. added to your door, additional tension is needed for your torsion springs and in some cases, it is even recommended that you add a full turn of tension to the torsion springs or just replace them with a new, properly calibrated set.
Reinforcing your door the moment you buy it is always a much more successful project than trying to retrofit a door that has already been installed but it can be done. Garage doors that are reinforced can give you the peace of mind you need so don’t despair and call a professional technician for the best advice.
