How to trim a garage door with an angle grinder. How to increase the size of the gate without disassembling the roof

What to do if your garage door is sagging

In repair, you should distinguish between two operations, completely different in labor intensity and complexity of performance:

• Lift one or both sashes, without removing the frame, posts or housing on which the garage door is attached;
• Major repairs or replacement of the frame, in which case you have to dismantle the masonry and lift or remove the welded frame structure, which hangs the leaves.

Tip! If you do not have the skill to carry out welding work, any replacement of the frame or sashes is better to entrust the professionals.

How to Raise a Garage Door

The easiest and most accessible procedure, with skill you can try to lift even a very heavy sash by yourself. For example, if the wear and tear of the hinge friction surface has reached its limit, and the garage door began to cling to the top edge of the blind area, you need to insert the repair washers

Pay attention, the correct way to install 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 sash above the sill beam

Each washer is notched to the width of the hinge pivot and is lubricated on one side only.

In this case, it is not even necessary to raise and remove the garage door, just raise it a few millimeters to insert a pair of steel washers into the resulting gap in the hinges. To raise the gate leaves, you need to turn them at an angle greater than 90o, then under the bottom slice of the leaf, as close as possible to the axis of rotation, install a wooden or steel wedge. A few strokes on the wedge will help raise the gate by 2 to 3 mm. Then you can insert a rolling jack and 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 reweld.

In the same way perform repairs if due to deformation of the hinges or garage door frame sagging leaves occurred. In this case, under the edge of the sash, as far as possible from the axis of rotation, set the jack and begin to slowly lift by sledgehammering the place of deformation of the hinge or frame. If the design of the sash has a wicket door, it must be fixed with bolts or ties, but not removed. Most often for 5. 6 transitions it is possible to grind the gate, if not, you need to lift to the maximum height, set the jack in a horizontal position with the emphasis on the opposite pillar of the frame and “squeeze the geometry” of the frame until the full alignment of beams and hinges.

This is interesting: Automatics for garage doors: consider all the nuances

The main problem with the garage door

The old garage door structures made of five-millimeter sheet metal can withstand a huge load, and the heavy structure was hung on the frame made of a T-beam with a width of up to 20 cm. Had to be lifted or repaired no more than once every 20 years, and mostly due to the wear and tear of the hinges.

Raise the garage door or even just take off the hinges by yourself without the help of neighbors, it is almost impossible, so such work has always been performed by a team of at least three or four people. Modern garage door must be raised and removed almost every couple of years, mostly due to the thin metal or illiterate design of the garage:

• The foundation of the garage under the sill beam sagged along with the wall, respectively, to open the doors was impossible, the lower edge is just clinging to the blind area;
• The hinges of the gate were deformed or worn and the sashes tilted;
• The size of the garage door opening does not allow parking of cars with high clearance or high mounted cabins, such as Gazelles or VWT4, at worst, the UAZ-Patriot.

Ways to lift (fix the geometry) of the gate

This option of lifting the flaps can be called one of the most complex and costly in time and effort. But the result can be considered the most effective. This variant is also called a frame lift. In order to implement it, you will need to completely remove the garage door leaves. In some cases, the frame can not be dismantled, but it is necessary to free it from the clamps that hold it in the wall. This can be metal pieces of rebar that are driven into the holes. It will be easier to perform lifting if brickwork is used as a lintel in the upper part of the frame. In this case it will be enough to remove one or more rows. Everything will depend on the garage door frame lifting height required.

If there is a concrete lintel above the frame rung, more effort is needed. When using a standard element, it will be possible to raise the door by about 10 cm. This is due to the fact that just at this level is the concrete, and further goes the reinforcement. Drill with a long auger is needed. The diameter of the drill should be 10 or 12 mm. with an angle grinder marks the line for the trimmer, along which the drilling will be carried out. It must be horizontal and directly under the reinforcement. Drill in sequence without a large gap. The next step is to install the chisel and start beating off the top of the lintel. Once the task is completed, remove the remains of concrete and level the surface of the lintel.

The next step is to lift the frame to the desired height. If the metal fasteners have already been cut, it is necessary to pass with the chisel in those places where the frame is embedded in the wall. It must be completely free and move freely. You can lift the frame in two ways:

In the first case, start in the middle of the lintel. At this point, place a strong crowbar underneath and begin to lift slowly. It is not necessary to start with the edges, t. к. The gate frame would simply get jammed in the opening. After a short lifting, it is necessary to put wooden spacers under the frame. Then you can go to the left and right side, one after the other. As soon as one of them is lifted, a wedge is also put under it. It is worth realizing that the outermost points may be more difficult to lift than the central one. When a large clearance is achieved, one or more jacks are placed in it.

Further lifting is done with the jacks. It is important to act in sync with an assistant or perform a small level lift on each jack in turn. Do not try to do it all quickly, because it’s not a good idea. к. The frame might warp. If this happens, it is necessary to lower one of the jacks and hit the garage door frame with the sledgehammer. The operation can also be carried out in another way. If it is not possible to place spacers and a jack under the threshold of the frame, you must do so under its top rung. The jacks in this version are mounted as shown in the diagram above. Under them, high supports are made of beams. Place a board gasket on top of the head to prevent it from slipping. The lifting of the garage door frame also needs to be done evenly.

Please note! In some cases, the threshold may be connected to the foundation, so it is not possible to raise it. Then the frame struts are cut off, and the upper part is lifted separately. After that, small sections of the gate frame need to be finished off from the angle.

After such an operation the door hinges do not need to be re-welded in most cases. к. they are mounted in their usual place. The question arises in relation to the bottom of the door, i.e. к. there is a gap equal to the height of the frame lift. It can be closed by welding sheet metal to the gate. It is also suitable for the formation of a threshold, which will prevent rainwater inside the room. The last option is necessary if the gate was originally too low.

Garage Door and Carport Repair. Expanding. Welding. Locks

We are professionals and we repair and enlarge garage doors every day. We have no competitors for experience, quality and wide range of services.

We work on welding work in Omsk for over 25 years. We repair complete garages, metal and reinforced concrete garages.

Welding Services. In the presence of AUTONOMATIC POWER STATION, generator.We are not hackers or cashiers. Quality GUARANTEED. Contract. Guarantee.

We provide emergency assistance to trucks, vans and trailers (welding, locksmith)We perform ANY garage door repair, even in places where there is no electricity.

We are the only one who repairs and extends the garage door for so many years.We know exactly how to solve any problem with your garage and garage door. You can fix and repair almost anything. It will be like new.

We are often called upon to fix the work of welders. Frankly, we even joke that thanks to such “masters”, we never stay out of work. So we advise to be extremely careful if you are called a low price for the work. In the end, remodeling is still more expensive.

It is not enough to be just a good welder, we specialize in gates and garages. We have thousands of satisfied customers and the same number of photos of our work. Here you can see just a few. The remaining photos can see the master in person. No one else can show you so many successfully completed works on repair of garage doors in the city of Omsk.

You can also find us in 2GIS. The only company in Omsk to repair and enlarge the garage door.We fix what seems to be impossible.

If you want to do RELIABLE, once and for many years, CALL US. We will come very quickly. Departure welder on a call.To do the job well, there are many subtleties that are absolutely not obvious. Only our vast experience is a guarantee of a successful solution.

Widening the opening of the garage door

It is much more difficult to increase the opening if the top rows of bricks over the frame and the bow itself carry some load from the weight of the floor slabs. In this case, change the height or increase the width of the opening is possible only by installing additional unloading beams:

• Option one is to increase the size of the entrance to the garage using a steel I-beam as a temporary mount;
• Option two. cut out a niche in the brickwork above the frame for the installation of reinforced concrete lintel and use it as a cross beam holding the main mass of the plates;
• Use steel corners to assemble a horizontal crossbar that holds the weight of the boards and brickwork for the time of the “reshaping” of the garage door opening.

For your information! All three methods are similar and increase the size of the entrance only after unloading the door frame.

How to widen and enlarge an opening with a steel angle

The above method to increase the size of the garage doorway can be called low-traumatic and the cheapest, due to the fact that the rebuilding uses a relatively small amount of auxiliary materials than in the way of reinforced concrete or I-beams.

To increase the size of the opening, you must first install an additional horizontal composite beam of two angles with a flange width of 75 mm. The first step is to mark out the front wall above the entrance. Mark horizontal and vertical lines for the new door.

Using a notch, cut an 8 mm wide and 8 mm deep slot in the wall to the width of the angle’s flange. First, a groove is drilled from the inside of the wall. Three pieces of angle are cut along the dimension line, which are pushed into the cut groove and welded in a U-shape.

In the same way the groove is cut, then the installation of the corners from the outer part of the front wall. Obtain a structure of two angles, welded and reinforced on the wall in the form of two U’s, edging the contour of the future gate. To keep the assembled frame from falling apart, you’ll need to increase the strength and stiffness by welding on the crosspieces.

Disassembling masonry as a way to increase the opening of the garage door

Before welding the lintels, it is necessary to remove some of the bricks above the horizontal beam of the old gate. To do this, install a support in the central part from a thick log or bar. Only after that you can peoratorom cut a part of the bricks of masonry, with a gap sufficient to connect the corners of the new frame lintels.

You can then increase the size of the garage door opening. This will require cutting out the remaining brick from the masonry, through the knocked out holes over the old beam to stretch two channels, under which to install additional supports from a wooden bar. The horizontal bar of the old garage door can be cut out and thrown.

We have a new frame for the garage door. It remains only to strengthen the coupled corners overlay elements, if necessary, to replace the channel on the threshold. Since most of the new doors are sold complete with a frame and shims, the easiest way to insert the finished structure in the prepared framework of the angle, align vertically and horizontally, and then weld to the ground electric welding.

Cases in which it is necessary to raise the garage door and how to do it

Raising the door while maintaining the level

The most common case is when, due to the too low position of the gate, it is very difficult, and sometimes not even possible, to open it. If such a problem occurs in the summer, let alone in the winter, when snow and ice interfere with their normal operation. As an option, you can undercut the gate, and the entrance to the garage is concreted. This will create a slope and the water will flow down. But if you work by this method, it reduces the size of the opening.

In order to raise the garage door, you need the following materials: channel, bricks, water and the gate. You can begin to work.

Let’s look at an example when you want to keep all the parameters and raise the gate.

• Remove the doors;
• Release the frame;
• Remove several rows of brick in front of the opening;
• Raise the gate;
• At the bottom of the frame, lift the backfill;
• Put the gate back in its original place.

Before beginning to dismantle the gate to a level above 3 to 4 brick rows, wash out the mortar between the bricks with water. Put a corner or a channel in its place. This is done before raising the garage door to prevent the building from collapsing. Otherwise the garage roof will move off. Fix the channel or angle bracket securely with anchor bolts.

The problem is the height of the garage

Sometimes the problem with the normal functioning of the gate can be its height. Solving it will require experience and knowledge of the building trade. If your garage is brick, you need to remove 1 or 2 rows of masonry, and 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 option for solving the problem. In this case, the most common and easy way to increase the space between the gate and the ground is to trim the bottom of the door leaves with an angle grinder.

Do the garage door with your own hands. Quality materials and precise step-by-step installation will determine how long the garage door will function.

Why Raise the Gate

When it comes to the need to raise the gate, it comes to swing structures. There is no such problem for folding designs, t. к. they are capable of automatically changing their level. There are several reasons why you have to resort to lifting the gate:

• wear and tear on the hinges;
• Frame deformation;
• improper design;
• foundation failure;
• vehicle replacement.

Old gate structures are made of sheet metal, which has a thickness of 3 millimeters or more. This design of the gate itself is quite heavy, so it is normal that they begin to sag over time. This can be caused by poor-quality hinge metal. The stems lose their strength and the leaves partially tilt forwards. This makes it difficult or impossible for the gate to close normally.

Another reason why the gate needs to be raised is the wear and tear of the metal corner. In most cases, beams with a width of 20 cm are used, but to save money small corners are used, which from the constant loads begin to deform. This disturbs the geometry of the frame, which causes problems with the gate. When properly designed, a swing gate is never placed flush with the ground. Even when properly installed, this approach can be a problem in the winter. Metal can become deformed by low temperatures and the gate will not open, t. к. will cling to the asphalt.

Another problem that manifests itself with a low-level door is precipitation. If there is a lot of snowfall in the winter, you have to work hard to clear the area around the door before you enter or exit the garage. In heavy rains, water will simply seep into the garage, which can cause serious problems, especially if the garage has an inspection pit or basement. In some cases, ground movement can cause a problem with deformation of the bottom of the frame. This also leads to the need to lift the gate. Walls can also become deformed, which leads to the sagging of the gate and make it impossible to open.

This is interesting: Softrock drainage system

Ways to raise (fix the geometry) of the gate

So, the new car did not fit the dimensions of the upper part of the garage opening. 6-7 cm. the width of the car itself, 14 cm. left. right, in the places where the roof rails are installed (by the way, one of the most frequent reasons when it is necessary to raise the height of the door!).

Some garage craftsmen immediately advised disassembly of the upper part of the opening, (to reduce the number of rows of bricks. a common approach), re-weld the frame, thus increasing the height of the opening. In fact, to raise the entire upper part by 14 cm. (2.5 rows of brick) is very difficult, but it was not required. How the problem was solved.

• In the floor of the garage (concrete, as well as the driveway with a slope of about 2 meters long) oblong grooves width of 2. 2.5 tires each, 10 cm deep. At the same time the level of entrance was lowered to avoid that the car roof touches the upper frame in case of maneuvering out. The bottom of the track was covered with ribbed metal, fastened to the floor.
• On the example of another car (garage cooperatives are good in that there is always almost the same car. in this case without the rails). We took into account the difference in the height of the tires. Determined the gap between the car roof and the upper frame in the maximum unloaded state. 7 cm.
• On the left and on the right, in the upper part of the opening we sawed out 60 cm each. The middle part was propped up with beams, just in case). We knocked out some bricks and welded the obtained U-shaped openings with a channel, which was fixed in a brick.
• Check the calm drive-in and drive-out with the right car, make sure everything was done correctly.
• After that, I had to raise the right sheets a bit, since the gate stopped covering these holes, which was done in place, after the sashes had already been put in place.

At this point the work was done. It took them three days, it took a neighbor’s garage help, to agonize with the task of raising the entire top of the frame (while increasing the gate) did not have.

We hope that when you face a similar problem, this article will help you to be creative, use simple solutions, and not try to solve the problem head-on, as experts advise on the Internet.

Sagging garage and gate

My old garage, which I bought already sagged in the winter, gave me a lot of trouble in opening the gate. Due to the fact that even in the summer, the gate scraped the ground.

That to open it in winter, I had to spend an hour cleaning the snow in the radius of the gate opening all the way to the ground with crowbars and a shovel.

In summer, I simply dug a recess under the gate, that the gate is easy to open, but another problem arose, water often began to accumulate in the recess after the rain.

And I decided to do as some neighbors in the garage cooperative 06, cut the gate from the bottom, (because there is no place to raise them) and make concrete entry into the garage that would limit the flow of water into the garage in the spring, and prevent the accumulation of water near the garage.

This is what the door originally looked like, it did not close all the way, because from the top and bottom rested on some parts of the garage.

On the inside of the gate (corner), the left side was cut off a long time ago, as it prevented the gate from closing.

The gate decided to cut away 10 centimeters from the bottom, as I want to further concreted the entrance to the garage, so that in the spring, when snow melts it did not pour into the garage.

After cutting the gate, there was a second layer of gate, upset.

Under the first layer were more ribs, they pretty interfered with the work of an angle grinder.

This is what the cut gate looked like, it was about this distance, millimeters 4-5 in thickness.

This is what the gate looks like after trimming, now it is easy to open and close all the way.

Another hour later, I cut the second part of the gate, there were even more stiffeners, the rest is the same two-layer construction.

Soon pour concrete pit in front of the garage, I will leave about five centimeters, which would be easy to open and winter and summer.

Spent four hours on this operation, worked alone.

Of the difficulties I encountered, overheated angle grinder, it was impossible to hold it even through the gloves were too hot, I had to let the rest. Blades 125 millimeters did not always reach the second layer of iron. I had to cut on both sides, all sorts of angles and ribs gave reason to swear more often and jump around them more actively. Glove ignited by sparks, then soaked in water.

In total, it took four hours, five 125 millimeters of angle grinder discs of the thickest (like 3-4 millimeters). Gloves, goggles, cap, jacket (to protect from hot sparks), hammer, tape measure, chalk.