How to remove your garage door

While garage doors last a long time, they won't last forever. There may come a time when you need to replace your current door with a new one. Before doing that, you need to remove the old garage door. Here are some tips for accomplishing this task.

Turn Off the Power

The first thing you need to do when removing a garage door is turn off the power source. This is necessary if you have an electric garage door. Leaving the power on puts you at great risk of electrical hazards. First find the fuse or breaker that connects to your garage door and turn it off. You should also find the garage door opener that runs power to the door and unplug it. Disconnect any wires you see first and pull the release cord connected to the garage door opener. This ensures no electricity is being supplied to the door, so you are free of this risk. Once you do this, you can disconnect the power unit going to the garage door opener.

Release the Springs

One of the most dangerous aspects of removing the garage door on your own is working with the springs. Multiple springs are used to allow your garage door to function, including torsion springs and extension springs. If you aren't extremely careful, you could do some serious damage to yourself. Consult a garage professional if you don't feel comfortable releasing and removing the springs on your own. Keep in mind as you release the springs, that the door becomes very heavy and lacks support. You need to have someone else to help you.

Start by removing the extension springs, which are connected to the garage door tracks. It needs to be opened in order to access them. Use clamps to keep the door in the open position first, then release the cables of the garage door opener and pull out the springs. When you are ready to remove the torsion springs, remove the clamps and close the door. Unscrew the screws that are attached to the torsion springs, once again having someone hold onto the garage door to support its weight.

Remove the Brackets and Jambs

Once the springs are removed, the rest is easy. You can now remove the garage door itself. You might want to set blocks of wood underneath the door before releasing it, so it has somewhere to stand as you remove it from the front of the garage. There are brackets that first need to be removed, followed by removing the roller hinges. Now have someone help you move the garage door aside before removing the jambs of the door as the last step.

For more information about garages, visit a shop like Alpha Industries.