Due to rising prices for materials and installation of garage structures, some car owners prefer to independently equip a "house" for their car. This is a wise decision, since, having saved on payment to specialists, you can make the garage door yourself by investing in high-quality materials and automation. The fastest type of installation is the purchase of a finished design of the appropriate size, which is assembled manually according to the instructions from the manufacturer. Craftsmen who are confident in their abilities can independently carry out all stages of work - from the drawing to the finished structure.
Types of garage doors
First of all, it is necessary to determine what kind of garage door you want to equip with your own hands . To do this, you need to navigate the terrain, according to the size of the structure and the amount with which it will be easy to part.
- The cheapest and easiest is the manufacture of swing gates. They can open inward if the garage is close to the sidewalk, or outward if the place allows.
- Sectional garage doors are popular and convenient in operation. Ready-made standard sections go on sale from manufacturers, but can be made to order if the design is non-standard. Completely independently produce parts of the gates of this type, from the drawing to the final installation, it is quite realistic for an experienced designer, but the cost of time and money will be considerable.
- Lifting gates are also in demand, as they are very convenient to operate. These designs do not require academic preparation for installation, but the calculations on which the price of materials and automation depends, should be carried out qualitatively.
Sectional Constructions
Any automation creates additional comfort, as it saves the driver time. In addition, sectional doors for the garage have the following qualities:
- This type of structure is considered to be the warmest, most airtight and weatherproof. If the garage is connected to the house, then no drafts, streams of rain water or snow penetrate the dwelling.
- A full guarantee of the safety of the car is provided even when the power is cut off. This type of automatic gate is almost impossible to crack.
- They are very compact and give maximum space for the car to travel.
Thanks to these qualities, sectional mechanisms are most in demand among garage owners. They open smoothly and quietly, which is important if the "house" for the car is in close proximity to the home, its own or neighbors.
Sectional constructions in action
To figure out how to make the gate yourself, you should know their individual elements. They consist of a web, which is connected by loops, and a torsion system, which includes cables, drums and a spring mechanism.
The canvas is a sandwich panel made of galvanized sheet steel with insulation between two sheets. In the form of insulation, polyurethane foam is most often used. If the garage is cold, then a panel of 20 mm thickness will do. To equip a warm room for a car, a panel from 35 to 45 mm is selected. This web thickness is equivalent to a wall thickness of 1.5 bricks.
When the gate is raised, the panel first moves along the vertical axis upwards, refracts at the hinge joint, and moves to the horizontal axis of the frame under the garage ceiling. Soft and silent running is ensured by polyamide balls.
It is quite difficult to construct and install a garage door for this type of garage yourself, so the best option is to purchase the finished product from the manufacturer with self-assembly according to the instructions.
Gate mechanisms
Today, any kind of garage door can be made automatic. The most commonly installed are sectional and sliding gates. They are preferred, first of all, because of the maximum saving of space both indoors and outdoors, comfort of use and reliability of the design. Craftsmen even swing doors, previously locked exclusively by lock, turn into automatic gates, connecting them to the opening mechanism.
The modern automobile market is replete with various types of devices. You can purchase models from the simplest and cheapest mechanisms to those with a special code keyboard, for example, a radio-controlled key fob or a card reader. It all depends on the amount that the owner is willing to invest in the comfort and safety of his garage.
Automatic drives
Automation for gates is most often an ordinary rack and pinion drive that you can install yourself. It is powerful and reliable enough, equipped with a radio path, a lamp and a remote control. At night, the lighting lamp automatically turns on when the doors are opened, which allows you to put the car in the garage with great comfort and safety.
If you install swing gates for the garage with your own hands, then the automation can be linear or lever type. Her work is as follows:
- the engine rotates the screws with the help of a gearbox;
- the nuts are moved by screws along the guide axis, as a result of which the motor energy is converted into linear motion, and the nut opens the gate;
- to lock the doors when opening and closing the nuts, press the switches at the extreme points, thereby stopping the drive;
- the drive is controlled by a unit equipped with a security system in the form of electronic sensors that recognize the signal from the key fob, or when the car hits an obstacle.
Automation for sliding gates is basically based on an electromechanical drive. Its design includes an electric motor, gearbox and control unit. All types of electromechanical devices have an unlock function in case of emergency power outages.
Material selection
If you want and the ability to design and install a garage door with your own hands, it will not be difficult. It is easier and cheaper to make swing or tilt-and-swing doors. The latter option is preferable for rooms that are limited in external space, for example, located next to the sidewalk. Such a garage is difficult to open without blocking the street, so the sectional or tilt-up type of doors will be the solution to the problem.
Before choosing a material, you need to decide what type of automatic device will be installed on the gate. The dimensions, weight and material of the product in the aggregate dictate the power and carrying capacity of the entire mechanism.
The simplest lift-swing doors consist of the following materials:
- wooden bars for the ceiling and vertical box;
- pins made of metal;
- corners for a frame and rail of the corresponding sizes;
- spring and metal rod for adjusting the tension;
- electric drive;
- door leaf.
The dimensions of the materials are selected according to the measurements of the garage door frame.
Design selection
The manufacture of gates should begin with the choice of canvas. It will take less time and it will be more reliable to buy a sandwich panel of the appropriate size. They can be selected by color and texture, from inexpensive plain to expensive with precious wood inserts.
If you think about how to make the gate yourself, then the optimal solution would be a wooden shield studded with galvanized iron . It can be insulated with polystyrene foam and ennoble the appearance with plastic of any color or wood panels.
Making a garage door
When the materials are thought out, the calculations are verified and the tools are selected, the manufacturing process begins. This will require:
- assemble a frame of wooden bars fastened with corners, respectively, to the width and height of the entrance to the garage;
- install the finished frame in the opening and secure it with pins, while the lower part should go to the floor for a couple of centimeters;
- make the gates themselves by sheathing a wooden sheet with galvanized iron;
- install insulation and clad the gates with plastic or wooden panels;
- rails are made of metal corners along which the shield will move;
- make a support mechanism from the corner, for this you need to drill two holes for mounting to a longitudinal stand on one side and on the other three holes for installing the spring bracket;
- from a corner with a hole of 0.85 cm, make a hinge assembly and weld at the bottom of the frame between its lower side of the rib and the middle of the hole for the lever of the lifting mechanism;
- weld a plate with a prepared hole to adjust the tension to the end of the lever;
- connect the adjustment plate to the bracket with the spring, the extreme spirals of which are used for hooks;
- attach a rod to the bottom of the spring, which will act as a tension regulator.
Installation of the structure requires the mandatory use of welding for greater reliability of the entire device.
Using the finished design
Each garage owner determines for himself how to make a gate - from scratch to install it yourself, which can take a lot of time and money, or buy a finished structure and insert it according to the instructions from the manufacturer. The second option will require a few more cash investments, but it will speed up the installation and commissioning of the mechanism as much as possible.
If you carry out the installation without turning to specialists for help, using ready-made gates, the savings will be 25–35%. This is an excellent indicator, given that professionally made in the factory garage doors are much better, more reliable and more beautiful than handicrafts.
Manufacturers give a guarantee on their products, which is also important. So the choice should be between expensive quality and quick installation or a long and expensive process of designing and installing gates yourself.