If you have an old garage door, particularly a heavy wooden one, it might be a hassle to open. Most garage doors sold these days are automatic, but that doesn’t mean you need to go and replace your old door.
You might be wondering whether it’s possible to convert your old garage door into an automatic one.
The good news is, in a lot of cases manual garage doors can be automated. It’s worth being aware however that sometimes due to general wear and tear this is not possible.
If the door moves stiffly or shakes when being moved this makes automation impractical, however repairs to your garage door can rectify these problems. If you have a large garage door that is expensive to replace you may consider replacing the springs, tracks and other components.
Some older garage doors are simply not compatible because of the way their gears and springs are set up. Either way a garage door specialist such as East Coast Overhead Door can advise you on your situation.
Automating Overhead Garage Doors
If you have an overhead garage door then it should be relatively quick and cost-effective to convert. Up and over doors are the easiest type for specialists to work with.
Canopy doors that run up the frame vertically are more tricky to automate and can be more costly requiring a bow-arm conversion kit.
Automating a Sectional Garage Door
Sectional garage doors are easy to automate thanks to their smooth operation. Almost all sectional doors can be made automatic, again any problems with restricted movement can be repaired before conversion.
Sectional doors usually require a longer boom operator leading to the electric motor, therefore entering further into the garage.
Automating Side-Hinge Doors
Most side opening garage doors can be automated using either a swing arm kit or a hydraulic electromechanical operator.
Automating Roller Garage Doors
Almost all roller garage doors can be automated with different motor types. More work is required however since the door must be taken apart.
Is the garage suitable?
Sometimes it’s not the door but the garage that is the problem. Electric openers need room to be installed. If there is not enough headroom or no access to power then in some (although rare) cases automation may not be possible. There are however a variety of solution, different sizes of opener etc. which your garage door specialist can discuss with you.
Benefit of automatic garage doors
Convenience – The most notable benefit is that you won’t break your back trying to open and close the door. You can even chose it remotely which can be a real life-saver.
Added security – Automatic openers can add an extra layer of security; when closed they hold the door very tightly and make forced entry far less likely. This can become obsolete however if you have a weak door that can easily be smashed. For best security you want to go for a good quality rated motor.
Safety – Automatic doors can be safer for owners if they have an automatic reversal feature. This means if the door encounters an obstacle it will quickly retract.
