Garage doors endure heavy loads all the time. Due to their weight and wind gusts, they are subject to subsidence and arching. If the gate frame is deformed, it will not be possible to close the garage. In this case, many motorists are wondering how to raise the gate in the garage. In addition, you may need to perform this procedure in case of a change of car.
Raising the garage door may be required in the following cases:
- the foundation base sank along with the wall, therefore, the possibility of opening the wings disappeared, since their bottom is hooked onto the blind area;
- the gate hinges have been deformed or they have undergone significant wear, the sashes have tilted;
- the size of the garage door opening does not allow parking a car with a high ground clearance or a high seating position (Gazelle, UAZ-Patriot).
Gate lifting methods
There are different methods for lifting brick garage doors. It should be noted that when using certain methods, it may be necessary to remove the door from the hinges.
Repair washers
If the gate leaves are deformed due to the sagging of a pair of hinges, the following recommendations should be followed:
- To raise the lowered sash, you need to install adjustment washers. The thickness is chosen taking into account the depth to which the loops sag.
- To install the washer, it is necessary to remove the sash from the hinges, put the washer, return the sash to its place.
- If it is not possible to use a washer of a suitable size, you can install an additional ball in the loop.
Reducing the headroom (raising the frame)
One of the hardest methods. The heavy steel structure is fixed with concrete, therefore, before lifting it, it is necessary to dismantle the gate leaves. If the foundation subsided, it is required to remove 1-2 bricks from the masonry (depending on the height of the rise). By means of a perforator or a special hammer with a chisel, it is necessary to remove the concrete from under the racks of the frame and the threshold beam located on the side.
With the help of a crowbar inserted under the central part of the frame, it rises to a small height. A wedge is inserted, then the procedure is repeated for the sides of the frame. The side wedges are driven in from the opposite side of the threshold beam. After the gap between the frame and the ground increases to five or six centimeters, you need to use a rolling jack that can lift a weight of up to five tons. By means of a jack, a further raising of the frame is carried out.
Similarly, the frame beam located on top is raised. After a part of the brickwork is knocked out, a cut is made of the vertically placed racks and the top of the frame. The cut is carried out above the places where the loops are fixed.
The mass of the cut part of the frame does not exceed seventy kilograms. It can be lifted with a standard jack, which is installed on the threshold. A log / beam is installed between the plank located on top and the jack. After that, a rise to the required level is carried out.
Change threshold level
When using this method, it is not necessary to dismantle the gate. It is not recommended to use this method if the bottom of the frame is almost at ground level. It will be necessary to mount horizontally placed spacers (for temporary fixing of the frame). The gate leaves open, after which the bottom of the frame is removed.
After that, a part of the threshold is knocked out. Then the bottom of the frame, by welding, returns to its place, the spacers are pulled out. Next, you need to fill the threshold with a cement solution.
cut the canvas
If the wings began to touch the earth's surface, and the gate is difficult to open, you can cut the bottom with a grinder. To eliminate the gap that will appear after trimming, you can fix a rubber seal or a piece of hose at the bottom.
Restoration of a deformed opening
If the opening was not made correctly during the construction of the garage, lateral twisting of the sash may occur. The main reason for the deformation is the frame beam located on top. You need to find the stress point in this beam.
If you tap the beam along its entire length, you can find the stress point. In it, the material of the beam begins to oscillate. Cut this place with a grinder, put a stiffening bar using a welding machine.
Enlarge garage door project
This method is used infrequently, as it is very laborious.
Height
First, the gate beam located at the top is dismantled. The slab is raised by means of several jacks installed along its edges. Platforms must be placed on and under the jacks so that they stand firmly on the floor. A metal beam is placed on the upper platform, which serves as an emphasis.
The plate must be lifted slowly (each edge ten centimeters at a time). In the gap that appears, it is required to put two bricks or metal corners.
Each plate in turn rises to the required level. After that, brick laying is done under the raised roof.
Wide
To increase the width of the opening, you will need to mount a horizontal beam of 2 corners (shelf width - seventy-five millimeters). It is required to create markings on the front wall above the opening.
By means of a perforator, a hole is created in the wall surface with a width of eight millimeters and a depth equal to the width of the corner shelf. A hole is drilled from the inside of the wall. 3 parts are cut off from the corner (along the dimension line), recessed into the created hole and welded with the letter “P”.
Similarly, work is carried out on the outside of the wall surface. To prevent deformation of the formed frame, it is necessary to increase the strength characteristics and rigidity by welding jumpers (transversely).
A common problem is the deformation of the leaves and the subsidence of the gate box. How to raise the gate in the garage on your own, and what reasons can cause such deformations of the leaves and the gate box.
First you need to find out the cause of the problem so that you can quickly and easily fix it. The most common problems with leaves and gate frames:
- sagging loops - the problem can be solved independently in half an hour;
- deformation of the garage foundation - in this case, it is necessary to repair the foundation and restore the geometry of the structure;
- subsidence of the wall - you need to raise one side with a jack and level the base.
Let's dwell on the solution of each of these problems in more detail.
Hinge repair and balancing
A common problem is that gate leaves are deformed due to sagging of one or two hinges. This issue is solved with minimal costs:
- to raise the lowered gate leaf on the hinges, you need to put adjusting washers. The thickness of such a washer is selected based on the depth of sagging of the garage door leaf;
- to install such a washer, you need to remove the sash from the hinges, install the washer and hang the garage door again;
- it is often difficult to find the desired height of such a washer, then an additional ball must be inserted into the loop (we select according to the diameter).
These methods are suitable if the sash sags a few centimeters.
Advice. Both the washer and the hinge adjustment ball must be made of a harder metal than the hinge material.
Trimming the door leaf
The solution is how to raise the gate in the garage, if the wings began to reach the ground and it is difficult to open and close the gate - a simple trimming of the lower part of the leaf blade with a grinder.
So that there is no gap after cutting the canvas, a rubber seal or a regular garden hose is attached from below.
Restoration of a deformed opening
If the opening was initially set incorrectly, then lateral twisting of the sash is often observed. The main cause of deformation is the upper beam of the frame. In order not to engage in dismantling and simply align the garage door, it is enough to find a stress point in the upper beam.
If you tap the upper beam a centimeter, then it is easy to find a place of stress, in this place the metal will begin to oscillate. The solution is simple - you need to make a cut with a grinder at this point and install a stiffening tire by welding.
How to raise a garage door - the opening needs to be increased in height
In this case, it is necessary to raise the roof, or install several rows of brickwork on the foundation (the option is suitable for solving the problem in metal garages).
In a brick garage, the only solution is to raise the height of the gate by raising the roof one or two rows of brick or stone.
A simple solution - if there is no desire to raise the roof
In order for the car to pass freely in height through the low garage doors, you need to make a kind of track inside the garage. To do this, you need to make ditches in the floor, the width should be equal to two sizes of the standard tire width.
In such a simple way, you can raise the height of the gate by 10 - 15 centimeters, but no more.
Raising the roof of the garage and increasing the height of the gate
If the roof of the garage is not a monolithic reinforced concrete floor, then it is quite simple to make a welded metal frame for a shed roof, which is mounted around the perimeter on screw fasteners in the walls.
Another option for raising the height of the gate is to install a metal garage on a welded frame of the required height.
If it is not difficult to raise a metal garage, you only need a welding machine, metal corners, pipes and fittings for a welded frame, then with brick garages in which monolithic reinforced concrete floors are installed, the problem is more complicated. After all, you need to lift a heavy monolithic floor slab.
First, you need to dismantle the top beam of the garage door, then you need to install it again on the cement in the rows of brickwork.
The slab can be lifted using several jacks, which are installed along the edges of the floor slab on which the gate is located. We expose platforms on and under the jacks so that they stand firmly on the ground and put a metal beam on the platform, which abuts against the ceiling.
Now we start lifting the plate, you need to work carefully, lifting each edge of the plate at a time by 10 cm, no more. We immediately insert stubborn bricks or metal corners into the resulting opening.
So we alternately raise each slab to the desired height, and then lay out the brickwork under the raised roof.
If the height of the garage allows you to raise the garage door opening without lifting the roof, then you just need to dismantle the beam of the upper floor of the door frame and knock out several rows of bricks to the desired height.
After we install the upper beam again and add the side racks, it is enough to weld the metal corner to the desired height.
Date: 2013-07-16 11:03:26
The need to raise the garage door may arise in some cases. As an example, we can consider a situation where, due to their too low position in relation to the ground, the structure is not easy to open even in the summer months. What then to say about winter, when frozen ice and snow prevent its opening? Of course, as an option, you can simply cut the structure, and concrete the entrance itself - this way you will ensure a natural slope and water removal. However, this method involves only reducing the size of the product. BUT how to raise garage door Let's try to find the answer to this difficult question together.
For work, you will need a brick, channel, water and the garage door itself. As you can see, nothing special. When everything is at hand, you can begin to work.
Getting Started
Consider a situation where it becomes necessary to maintain the current level of the garage, as well as raising its gate. Let's consider the step-by-step execution of the operation. First, the garage door must be removed, then release the frame. Next, we remove several rows of bricks directly above the opening and raise the gate itself. Finally, in the lower section, you can raise the backfill and return the structure to its original position.
Now let's take a closer look, how to raise garage doors. Before removing them from the hinges, wash the mortar between the bricks of the row to which you will remove them, and install a channel or at least a reliable corner in its place. This operation must be carried out before lifting the garage door. So you can save the structure of the building from destruction, otherwise the consequences can be the most sad. Using anchor bolts, securely fix the selected channel or corner.
Other possible problems
Sometimes the difficulty may lie in the height of the garage door. In this case, the problem becomes more complicated, since its elimination will require certain experience and skills in the construction field. The solution we offer is designed for brick caravans. Above you can read a detailed description of the actions, for this you need to knock out one or two rows of masonry. After that, it is required to strengthen the resulting slope, after which the frame itself rises to the required height.
Let's summarize. There are various ways to solve the problem of raising the garage door. You can choose the best option for your situation. I would like to repeat that the simplest and easiest method to increase the clearance between the garage door and the floor is to cut them with a grinder.
Sometimes, after raising the gate by one or two bricks, the gap between them and the floor increases significantly. You can get rid of this problem in various ways. One of them is concrete. You can also install a threshold. In any case, make sure that the slope is directed from the garage to the street. If this is not done, water during the rain will flow into the garage, filling it with dampness. And this, as you know, is very harmful to the car and the room itself.
Due to the design features of the sash, under a hundred kilos in weight, in the open state, from their own gravity and gusts of wind, they sag and bend so that it is almost impossible to close the gate in the garage on a sagging and deformed frame, without straightening with your own hands. You have to lift the gate, remove and align the hinges.
The main problem with the garage door
Old garage door designs made of five-millimeter sheet metal can withstand a huge load, while the heavy structure was hung on a T-beam frame up to 20 cm wide. It had to be raised or repaired no more than once every 20 years, and mainly due to the wear of the hinges.
It is practically impossible to raise the garage door or even just remove it from the hinges without the help of neighbors, so such work has always been carried out by a team of at least three to four people. Modern garage doors have to be raised and removed almost every couple of years, mainly due to thin metal or an illiterate garage design:
- The foundation of the garage under the threshold beam sank along with the wall, respectively, it became impossible to open the doors, the lower edge simply clings to the blind area;
- The gate hinges were deformed or worn out, the slope of the leaves appeared;
- The dimensions of the garage doorway do not allow parking cars with high ground clearance or high cab seating, for example, Gazelle or VWT4, at worst, UAZ-Patriot.
Important! In most cases, in order to align or fix a defect, you have to lift the gate in the garage and remove it from its hinges.
In-line gate repair
In repair, two operations should be distinguished, completely different in terms of labor intensity and complexity of implementation:
- Raise one or both leaves, without dismantling the frame, racks or body, on which the garage door is fixed;
- Overhaul or replacement of the frame, in this case, it is necessary to disassemble the masonry and raise or remove the welded frame structure on which the sashes are hung.
Advice! If you do not have the skill of welding, it is better to entrust any replacement of the frame or sashes to specialists.
How to raise a garage door
The simplest and most affordable procedure, if you have the skill, you can try to lift even a very heavy sash alone. For example, if the wear of the friction surface of the hinges has reached its limit, and the garage door began to cling to the upper edge of the blind area, repair washers must be inserted. At the same time, pay attention to the installation of two thin steel washers made of hardened polished steel. The total thickness of the washers should be such as to increase the height of the garage door leaf above the threshold beam. Each washer has a cutout for the width of the pivot axis of the hinge and is lubricated on one side only.
In this case, there is no need to even lift and remove the garage door, it is enough just to lift them to a height of a few millimeters in order to insert a pair of steel washers into the gap formed in the hinges. To raise the gate leaves, it is necessary to turn them over an angle of more than 90 °, then, under the lower edge of the leaf, as close as possible to the axis of rotation, install a wooden or steel wedge. A few hits on the wedge will help lift the gate 2-3mm. Then you can insert a rolling jack, raise the sash to any height and even remove it if necessary. If the hinges are completely out of order, you have to lift and digest.
In the same way, repairs are carried out if, due to deformation of the hinges or the frame of the garage door, the wings sag. In this case, a jack is installed under the edge of the sash, as far as possible from the axis of rotation, and they begin to slowly raise it, upsetting the place of deformation of the hinge or frame with a sledgehammer. If there is a gate in the design of the sash, it must be fixed with bolts or a coupler, but not removed. Most often, in 5-6 transitions, it is possible to straighten the gate, if not, you need to raise it to the maximum height, install the jack in a horizontal position with an emphasis on the opposite frame post and “squeeze out the geometry” of the frame until the beams and hinges are completely aligned.
Raising the garage door frame
The most difficult and time-consuming repair of the garage door is the lifting of the frame. The heavy steel structure is concreted into brick sidewalls, therefore, before lifting the structure, it is necessary to free up space for lifting and remove the gate leaves.
If the frame, along with the doors, is planned to be raised above ground level due to subsidence of the garage foundation, before raising the gate, you will need to knock out the top of the masonry by a brick or two, depending on the height of the lift. With a perforator or a construction hammer and a chisel, cement is knocked out from under the side racks of the frame and the threshold beam.
With an ordinary crowbar, they pry off the lower part of the frame and lift it to a small height, first in the center, and after installing the first wedge, they similarly try to lift it from the left and right edges. If it is possible to raise the frame, then the side wedges are clogged. They are placed, as a rule, on the opposite side of the threshold beam. After increasing the gap to 5-6 cm, it is necessary to install a rolling jack up to 5 tons, and then raise the structure using a hydraulic mechanism.
Raise the upper beam of the frame in the same way. Most often, you have to raise it if you need to increase the height of the garage door without dismantling it. After knocking out the upper rows of bricks with a grinder, a piece of vertical racks is cut off on both sides along with the upper horizontal part of the frame. The cut is made above the welding points of the loops.
The weight of the cut off part of the frame is no more than 70 kg, so it is easy to lift it with a conventional jack installed on the threshold. A log or beam is inserted between the top bar and the jack and carefully lifted to the desired height. After that, cut pieces of a similar material are welded into the gap in the frame.
Conclusion
It is necessary to lift a heavy frame in compliance with safety regulations. Often, when trying to raise the frame, the heavy structure heeled and overturned on the workers, so experts recommend installing spacers and blocking cable extensions.
The safety of your property depends on the reliability and strength of the garage door. In addition to the protective function that they perform, they can also serve as an attractive addition to your home.
What to do if for some reason you cannot open the gate? For normal operation, it is enough to lift them. The question arises, how to raise the gate in the garage? The answer is very simple: just follow some recommendations and you will succeed.
The design can easily be done by hand. In terms of quality, it will not differ from the one that will be installed by specialists. In this case, it is necessary to follow step-by-step recommendations for installing the gate and be extremely careful. In addition, the installation of garage doors does not take much time.
Consider the positive points, without which the gate will simply be unnecessary.
Good gates - the security of your property
- The car should easily enter the room.
The dimensions of the gate must ensure a normal check-in. It all depends on the model of your car. The width of the opening should be such that when the car stops, a gap of about 30 cm remains in it. The height for a passenger car should be from 1.70 to 2 meters, for a truck - 2.5 meters.
- Gates must be strong and burglary resistant.
Gates should protect your property. The protective functions depend on the material from which the structure will be made. Metal - the most reliable and durable. A 2.5 mm wide galvanized steel sheet will do the job perfectly. With the help of overhead locks for external blocks and armored pads for the internal lock, you can further strengthen the structure. Wooden doors are not very reliable, so they can only be installed in guarded parking lots.
- Gates must be resistant to external factors.
The tighter the canvas adheres to the frame, the more reliable the protection. Use vertical locks to fix the desired position of the door. Vertical locks prevent skew of the structure, and also securely hold the door. You can use a sealant for even stronger fit of the structure to the frame.
Types of garage doors
There are different types of gates.
They consist of two wings, unlocked inward or outward. Basically preference for the latter. For the normal functioning of the structure, the presence of space in front of it is very important. This is the cheapest type of mechanism.
Open along the fence, from the inside. The main advantage is that there is no need for additional territory in front of the device.
They include separate sections that refract when opened, and thanks to a special system of springs and profiles, the canvas goes up to the ceiling. This type of gate also saves space.
The cloth contains the aluminum plates covered with polymer. When opened, it folds into a special box above the entrance to the garage.
In this type of device, the web is vertically lifted to the ceiling.
Stages of garage door installation
First of all, take measurements to understand the size of the future gate. As a rule, do-it-yourself swing metal garage doors are made. This type is simpler and cheaper. Sliding gates will be more difficult and expensive to make, but it is also possible. You need to take a drawing, buy a ready-made kit for assembly. The kit includes an installation manual, with the help of which the installation of the structure is done. As a rule, they are installed in summer cottages, in private households, warehouses.
You can also reduce costs by installing automation yourself. Take the drawing, buy the necessary components and follow the instructions.
You can make swing gates without buying expensive components. The materials used are a profile, sheet metal 1-3 mm, a steel corner.
Garage doors can be installed in a few steps:
Step #1. Frame manufacturing
The frame includes an external and internal frame made of a steel angle, the dimensions of which are 65x65 mm. You will need the following tools:
- Bulgarian;
- Construction level;
- Square;
- Welding machine;
- Roulette.
We focus on the height and width of the gate in the manufacture of the frame. Measure and cut blanks for the frame from an iron corner with a section of 16-20 cm. Form the future frame strictly according to the level using linings. Then set the corners with a square. Check that the diagonals of the structure are the same, and then weld it.
In order for the canvas to fit snugly against the surface of the frame, its outer side must be even. Sand the welds. Make a lever out of the remnants of the corner, which is then welded to the corners of the frame, which will be their additional reinforcement.
Step #2 Making the frame
It is necessary to make a frame for two swing doors. An iron sheet is attached to each of them. Use a 60x20 mm profile to make the frame.
Insert the guides into the frame, align each side. Between them, make a gap of 20 mm so that the wings move freely. Check the square corners of the frame, then weld the profiles. Your frame is ready.
Step #3 Sheathing
To weld the gate, use a galvanized metal sheet 2-3 mm thick. It is necessary to cut out the desired size, while it is imperative to lay the sashes on top of each other by 10-20 mm. Thus, the right canvas will overlap on the left.
We weld from below and attach it to the frame.
Strengthening the gate is possible by strengthening: weld a horizontal iron belt at a height of one meter.
Step #4 Installation
Install power hinges on the garage door. The lower part must be welded to the garage frame, and the upper to the outside. To do this, attach a curved line of metal 0.5-0.7 cm thick to the top of the hinge and the sash. For a stronger connection, you can use a reinforcement tab.
A deadbolt is required to securely fix the position of the mechanism. To do this, you can use the design with a vertical pin. Drill holes in the ceiling and floor. Weld guide loops to the frame. For the pin, use a pipe with a diameter of 20-25 mm.
You can also use the clamping method of bolting the structure.
Step #5 Painting
Be sure to paint the canvas: this will protect it from adverse effects such as precipitation, moisture, damage. Before painting, prime, apply several layers of metal paint to the surface.
Step 6 Mounting
First of all, install the frame. It should facilitate the free movement of the valves.
Installing the gate is easy. First, attach the outer and inner parts of the frame to the slopes of the opening using iron pins 15-18 cm long. Scald their protruding ends, then grind with a grinder and paint over.
These parts are firmly fastened together with metal jumpers 20-40 mm thick every 60 cm. This is done so that in the near future it is not necessary to repair the structure. Next, hang the sashes on the hinges and check how easily they move.
There are times when during operation it is necessary to correct the operation of the gate, as for some reason they do not function well.
Cases in which it is necessary to raise the garage door and how to do it
Raising the gate while maintaining the level
The most common case is when, due to the too low location of the gate, it is very difficult to open them, and sometimes it is not possible at all. If such a problem occurs in the summer, what can we say about the winter, when snow and ice interfere with their normal operation. Alternatively, you can cut the gate, and concrete the entrance to the garage. Thanks to this, a slope will be created, and the water will flow down. But if you work according to this method, then the size of the opening decreases.
In order to raise the garage door, the following materials are needed: channel, brick, water and a gate. You can get to work.
Stages of work:
- Remove the doors;
- Free the frame;
- Remove several rows of bricks in front of the opening;
- Raise the gate;
- At the bottom, lift the dump;
- Put the gate in its original place.
Before dismantling the gate to a level above 3-4 brick rows, wash the mortar between the bricks with water. In its place, lay a corner or channel. This is done before raising the garage door so that the building does not collapse. Otherwise, the roof of the garage will move out. Secure the channel or angle with anchor bolts.
garage height problem
Sometimes the problem with the normal functioning of the gate may be their height. Its solution will require experience and knowledge of the construction business. If your garage is brick, you need to remove 1 or 2 rows of masonry, then strengthen the resulting slope and raise the frame to the desired height.
There are many ways to solve the problem of a poorly functioning gate. You can choose the best solution for the problem. At the same time, the most common and easiest way to increase the space between the gate and the ground is to cut the bottom of the door leaves with a grinder.
Make your own garage doors. Quality materials and accurate step-by-step installation will determine how long the garage door will function.
