Have you ever tried to install parts for your garage door? To clarify this question, I would like to identify what parts I am talking about. This will include of course the door itself, safety sensors, Torsion springs, extension springs, rollers, top and bottom brackets, lift handles, cable drums, spring fittings, hinges for each panel of the door, tracks, bearing plate and there are other parts depending on the company and the model you have.

There are some serious safety concerns that you should be aware of when working on the garage door on a DIY project. Let\’s start with the torsion springs, on certain models this maybe the most important part of entire system since these springs and extension springs (for a different design) are what lifts most of the weight of the garage door so the opener can easily open and close the door smoothly. If these need to be replaced you must be sure that you have the correct size and weight limits for your system and you need to take extra care when installing them.

Next let\’s talk about the tracks and rollers, which if they are not aligned correctly will cause the door to stop and reverse it\’s self. This is one of the safety feature that is required for all garage doors. The rollers will glide along the tracks, which has curved top to keep the rollers in line as they run along the tracks, and this helps keep the garage door in alignment so it will move straight while it is opening or closing. If the tracks are out of alignment it will cause a bump or a drag and the door will automatically stop as if someone or something is in the path of the door. The safety sensors can also cause the door to stop closing if there is anything breaking the laser light between the two sensors. To ensure these are working properly, the two sensors (one on each side of the garage door near the floor) must be aligned so their beam is only pointed at the other sensor and is not picking up something that is off to the side.

The hinges are critical and used so that each panel to the garage door will folded just enough so the door will follow the curve of the tracks while opening or closing. With each panel running horizontal and stack one on top of another, the hinges help keep the door stable as well as flexible enough to safely open and close.

The garage door opener is supported from the ceiling and with most models will have either a chain or a belt system that runs above the path of the door on its own track. These chains or belts are connect to an arm that is attached to the garage door and as the chain or belt moves (like a conveyor belt) the arm will pull the door so it will open or close. There are some models out there that will use a worm gear (which is like a long screw) instead of the chain or belt, to open and close the garage door.

As you can see, the garage door system has a lot more moving parts which must be precisely installed than most people realize. Even with their training and equipment, there are still many accidents that happen to the professional installers while working on these systems. If you are going to do the work yourself, remember, there is a lot that goes into installing a garage door system, so do some research, be sure you have the correct tools and the correct parts for your system.

Author Bio: William Nottoli, Retired from Air Force 1989, Realtor and Loan Officer Utah State 1998 – 2007, Affiliate Marketer http://www.partsforgaragedoor.com, Http://www.wrnottoli.com

Category: Self Help
Keywords: parts for garage door, garage door opener, torsion springs,rollers and track