Replacing Garage Doors

**jhart** · 04-22-2007, 09:28 AM

Have the Clopay doors on my garage, but installed them myself. It really is a pretty easy job to do, as are the door openers. Have never used the big boxes for installation on anything, so cannot comment there.

A great deal of the cost is going to be in the removal and installation part. Taking down the old one should be fairly easy unless you have a torsion spring (then I would hire a company to come out and loosen it)

If you go and price the doors and openers seperately, you'll see the cost of installation. Renting a rolloff dumpster, would get rid of the old door, etc.

If you're using a torsion spring on the new door, just hire the same company to come and tighten it.

I think you'll be a lot of money ahead.

**JimK** · 04-22-2007, 10:37 AM

Joe,

Thanks for the feedback. I've been going back and forth on the self-installation issue, and hate to put out extra money for labor. If I was just replacing the doors I might do it myself. In this case though, I'm replacing everything, and I have heard some scary stories about dealing with those torsion springs. Plus, it's taken me so long to get around to this job that I just want to be done with it without having to deal with coordinating multiple parts of the job (removal, help with the torsion springs, etc.) And I want someone else to be responsbile to fix it right away if any part of the product or install goes wrong. That's absolutely good advice about the savings, but in my case (at least for this job), I'm willing to pay a premium for less headaches and to free up my time. It sounds like you're happy with the Clopay doors that you installed so I'll keep them under consideration.

Thanks,

Jim K.

**WayneJ** · 04-22-2007, 10:50 AM

I changed out my old wooden door for a Clopay door about 5 years ago. Had to order mine special as it was 6' shorter than a normal door. It came with windows and R-6 foam. It came with a VCR tape on installing it. It came with new tracks and springs. It went up real easy, no problem with the springs, it was covered in the vidio. The old wood door, I cut it up with the circ saw and put out for the trash.The door opener is the oridg one. its over 30 years old and still going strong. The steel door is lighter than the old wood one.No problems with it yet, I'm happy. I think the door was about $250.
Wayne

**Thom2** · 04-22-2007, 11:24 AM

Last year I had HD install a 16' cloypay top of the line door. At the time I think they had a $100 rebate on installation, that coupled with 10% off pretty well talked me into letting them install it.

BUT, I think we ordered the door around the middle of April ....... the door was never installed until the later part of July. Paperwork was lost, phone call after phone call to find out what was going on. I wasn't a happy camper.

**Rand** · 04-22-2007, 03:30 PM

I'd shop some independent garage door companies. The last time I bought a new garage door and opener I ended up with an insulated door, with windows, a belt drive opener (quieter) installed and the old door hauled away for about 1200 bucks. Granted this was 7 years ago but they can't have gone up that much.

In that same time frame I got new vinyl replacement windows installed all around. I got 4 quotes. HD was the highest at 9,000. I got them done for 3500..
The lesson here is to shop around for the best deal. HD and Lowes will also come down on their price if you tell them someone will do it cheaper.

**atgcpaul** · 04-22-2007, 03:51 PM

Have to second the individual contractor route. HD uses individual contractors
anyway to do their installations anyway. We had a single 17' door installed
2 years ago. Coplay, insulated metal door for less than $1000. That included
removal and disposal of the old door and track system. I purchased and
installed the opener myself.

Paul

**Hellrazor** · 04-22-2007, 06:06 PM

Run far far away from box store installs. You could land up with someone good or someone who stinks who can't keep floating on his own. Plus HD inflates the pricing rather well for their installer work. Get a price on the doors & hardware and claim you are doing the work. Then get a price for them to install it...

Call a local contractor or 3.

**JimK** · 04-22-2007, 08:15 PM

There seems to be a pretty clear theme running through the responses here. I'm always kind of wary of the hit or miss contracting that you get from the big box stores. I'm going to shop this around a bit more to see what other contractors can offer. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and help.

Jim K.

**steve-norrell** · 04-23-2007, 10:30 AM

Originally posted by JimK

There seems to be a pretty clear theme running through the responses here. I'm always kind of wary of the hit or miss contracting that you get from the big box stores. I'm going to shop this around a bit more to see what other contractors can offer. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and help.

Jim K.

I have had three Larson storm doors installed by Lowe's. The first two were done by the same guy, in the depth of winter, and everything went beautifully -- on time, well done, etc. The third door was installed by a different contractor and he arrived about seven hours late and did not leave either the keys or the paperwork. (Could have done it myself except for problems with lifting heavy stuff -- Oh, were I only ten years younger!.)

It seems that it all depends on the contractor, as has been mentioned before in this thread. The product itself is guaranteed by the manufacturer and Lowe's; the installation, however, can be a real PIA.

In short, we are very satisfied with the product; very disappointed with the last contractor.

My worry is that, without lots of checking, I could have hired the lousy contractor myself; don't need Lowe's (or HD) to make that mistake.

Good luck. Steve

**JimD** · 04-25-2007, 06:39 AM

I have not yet replaced a whole garage door, just made one new panel for a wooden door and I have installed a few openers. I need to replace our current main garage door (we have two garages) so I am interested in others experience with new doors.

My main reason to post is with respect to springs. I learned the hard way how a torsion spring works in our Omaha house. I thought I would adjust the tension so I loosened the spring with the door closed. BIG MISTAKE. The only reasonable way to tension the spring is to open the door and then tighten the spring. This was a double door made of masonite. Very heavy. I had LOML put blocking under it as it made progress but raised it myself. Hard lesson.

After that lesson I have also replaced coil springs. They seem easier, probably because there are multiple springs, but the principle is the same. When I replace the garage door (no chance I will hire somebody to do something this simple) I will attach only as many panels as I think I can easily lift with the door vertical. Hopefully that will be all of them but, if not, I will put the last panel or two on with the door horizontal. Then I will attach the spring and it will tension when the door closes. I am confident I can do this myself but there are neighbors around if I bite off a bit more than I can easily raise.

Bolting a garage door together is a simple job. The only hard thing is tensioning the spring - regardless of the type. If you attach the spring before you have the weight of the door on it, it will want to open the door making installing the remaining panels challenging. If you can raise it once without the spring, just build the door, raise it manually once, attach the spring and you should be done.

Jim

**jessrice** · 04-25-2007, 09:44 AM

last October i did extensive research form all major door company's when i was looking for new doors for my shop.

What i found was that it is really hard to compared doors, because there aren't any set standards. I spoke to 7 different companies and got quotes all over the place for "similar" doors with r16 insulation. For the three doors (8x12, 12x12, 11x14) i was quoted 2400.00 to 9500.00.

I finally had to go look at all of them, because i felt like i was buying snake oil. I had most shops admit that their r value was a guess, and they didn't test them the same as everyone else. I guy said he wouldn't get the r-16, and would go with the r-12, but would sell me whatever i wanted.

The clopay dealer quoted me a higher price than home depot did, and he was the installer for them, but said that the big box doors weren't constructed the same, even though they were the same model numbers, etc...

When i was looking at them, the things i started to take notes on were the hardware thickness, or gauge, the thickness of the insulation, and if it was closed celled 7.8 r per inch, or the open cell 4 r per inch, the thickness of the outside and inside metal skins, and if the inside had a metal skin or a plastic or no skin covering. When looking at window, i also looked to see if one company was bidding insulated or non insulated.

Anyway I went with the middle/high of the road pricing and ended with the Amarr brand doors, the 3000 series, and really do like them. They have a true r rating, 24 guage metal inside and out, and heavy hardware.

I went with a local garage door dealer, with a good reputation (actually the one that said go with r12, but i was stubborn).

Right after I completed the deal and ordered the garage doors I noticed that Costco was selling the amarr doors at a good price and include installation.

They have a "special " numbering system for the cost doors, with the 9000 being the top of the line, in case you try to compare to what Costco has verses the amarr website. But the prices were better than local, and they have Costco's satisfaction guarantee should something go wrong. Although i doubt you could take it down and pack it back to costco, i would like to see thier faces.

just my 2 cents on what i learned

Jesse

**Hellrazor** · 04-25-2007, 05:19 PM

Originally posted by JimD

Bolting a garage door together is a simple job. The only hard thing is tensioning the spring - regardless of the type. If you attach the spring before you have the weight of the door on it, it will want to open the door making installing the remaining panels challenging. If you can raise it once without the spring, just build the door, raise it manually once, attach the spring and you should be done.

Jim

I attach vicegrips or C-clamps to the track while installing the panels. This stops the door from closing and holds it at the location you need it for the spring/cable installs. When I slide another panel into place, for bolting it up, I clamp another vicegripe on the track to keep it from rolling around.

**JimK** · 04-25-2007, 05:45 PM

Jesse,

Thanks for the benefit of your experience. It seems like you already went down the same road I'm heading. I just checked out Amarr's web site and found out that one of the local dealers is the same one I plan to meet with this weekend. The dealer has a good reputation and I liked what I heard from them the last time (2 years back). I'll see what they say about the Amarr line. For all I know (I've since lost the quote), those may be the doors they priced out for me last time...

Thanks to everyone for the input.

Jim K.

Replacing Garage Doors

Replacing Garage Doors

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Footer Ad