It may save time and money to install garage door opener yourself, but you should consider the costs of doing the work yourself. Do you have experience with home renovation projects? If not, you may want to look over the instructions very carefully before you make the ultimate decision to do the work on your own.

There are several options if you decide that you cannot or do not want to do the work yourself. If you are having a new garage door installation at the same time, it may be a good idea to purchase a combination package that will include the door and the opening system. Many new homes have one installed as a standard feature of the home. If you are purchasing a kit separately, check the warranty to make sure that it will not be voided by the installation process. This applies to the door and the opening system.

The condition of the door is one of the two most important factors when it comes to install garage door opener. Why? Because a door that is in bad shape can allow the bolts to tear free and this can leave you with a door that is stuck partially closed, making it impossible to let you in the garage. At worst, it can cause the door to come completely free and crash down on you or your vehicle, causing damage which can end up being very expensive.

The strength of the motor is a very important consideration. You should use the width of the door as a basis for deciding which motor you will get. Is your garage a single car garage? If so, and the door is about eight feet wide, you can use a model with a 1/3 horsepower motor. If you have a double car or a car and a half garage with a door that is between ten and twelve feet wide, consider a model with a motor that is a half horsepower. A larger door will need a more powerful motor since the door will be heavier.

Although it is very important for the door to be in good condition, it is equally important that your track system also be in good shape. All garage doors run on a track system. Wheels are pulled along the track by a counter weight on a spring. If your track is in bad shape, the wheels can catch on the track and bind or snap. This can lead to some of the same problems that a faulty door can cause. The last thing you want is for your door to come crashing down when you are halfway through with your car or truck, or landing on a person or a child.

You need to think about who will be doing the garage door opener installation. Will you be doing it yourself or will you be having it professionally installed. You can expect to pay anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars for installation. If you do the installation yourself you must make sure to be careful around the garage door spring installation, which holds the counterweight. It can come free and do a lot of damage, or injure whoever is handling it at the time.

Garage door openers can make it much easier for you to operate your garbage door. It can make it possible for you to open or close your garage door with the press of a button and you may find that being able to control it remotely gives you an added sense of security. It may be one of the best improvements you could make to your home.

There are basically three different types of garage door openers. These will be the ‘Belt drive’, which is the most quiet of the three and the most expensive. Then there’s the ’screw drive’, which is a little less expensive than the belt, and is still quieter than our last one – the ‘chain drive’. The chain drive is the most common and cheapest, and also the most noisy of the three.

The first wise move will be to read over all the directions included in the kit’s manual. Get acquainted with all the little details that are involved. It’s really quite simple but you don’t want to have to backtrack over something relatively simple, that will take more time to correct if not done properly the first time.

Your manual will cover lots of information that will guide you through, from assembly all the way to testing. Some of the subjects covered will be installation, adjustment, operating, programming, repairing and parts for repairing, accessories, and your warranty. You should keep your garage door opener installation manual handy at all times in case you have any need to reference it.

Once you get your opener in place, then you need to adjust it to the proper working settings. Pull your door up around 12 to 14 inches and turn it loose. When it closes, it should do so slowly, and not just drop, or not just hang there. Then try it again from halfway up. This time it should just hang there. Then give it the 3/4 test, and when you release it from here, it should slowly move to the fully opened position.

You can adjust the tension springs yourself, but make sure you do it while the door is fully open. Never try to adjust ‘torsion’ springs. A professional should be called in for this job, as it’s a dangerous undertaking and you could get hurt. Disable all locks and get rid of all ropes from your door. If your door is lightweight, it may require some reinforcement.

The basic progression of steps should go like this: Find the center point in your door opening. Whatever your total door height is, your mounting bracket should be a couple of inches higher than this. Be sure to consult your manual for the exact specifications. Then your rail will go on. To install garage door opener follow the instruction manual perfectly for assembling your rail, then attach it to the bracket which is located above the door opening and in the center.

You can rest the unit motor on a ladder to assist you in attaching your straps to your rafters. Be sure that the motor is in the center between your door tracks. Affix the bracket to the door and put the connecting arm in place. Then for the motor, connect the wires to the switch. Then manual should have some good pictures for illustrating all these installation steps, so it shouldn’t be difficult to understand.

Automatic garage door opener installation isn’t hard if you stick to the instructions. The last step will be your infrared sensors. These are usually placed around six inches above the floor, on both sides of the door, and the wires for them also get attached to the motor. You’ll need a GFCI outlet installed by an electrician unless you can do it yourself. Then you test your open and close adjustments, and there you have it.