Thread: Need help with installing a roller door

I had the same problem when a u-bolt came loose. I had to tighten one ends u-bolt tight. The the shaft coming out of the other end had a hole drilled thru it. I put a big screwdriver thru it and then started turning until the door rolled up to the open position. I gave it an extra half turn and then tightened that u-bolt. It all works fine now. Hope that helps..

Originally Posted by JOS106

HI all

I am currently installing a garage roller for my workshop.......... having no knowledge in stalling one i am not sure how to go about it?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Please be very careful. Roller doors have mechanisms that can cause serious injury.

At the very least get the manufacturers name off the door and contact their head office for installation instructions. How ever I suggest you engage an experienced installer to assist.

This is not to suggest that you are not capable , it is simply a warning that serious injury can occur to inexperienced installers.

cheers, Dave

You have the roller door mounted on brackets, with U bolts over the central shaft I assume.
The easiest way to do it is with 2 people. Essentially, all you are trying to do is wind up the spring in the inside of the roll. A pipe wrench, or large vice grips are good tools to grab the central shaft.
if you are starting on say, the right hand end, when viewed from inside, then the door will be going clockwise to close. Hence you need to wind the central shaft anticlockwise to tension the spring.
By the way, rolling the door down winds the spring up (or increases it's tension if you prefer). Hence it's easiest to tension the spring with the door all rolled up. When you think you have enough tension, tighten the U-Bolts to stop the shaft spinning. Get off the ladder, and pull the door to close. it should retract (ie lift up) under the tension of the spring.
If it flies up and scares the beejeezuz outta you- you've got way too much tension in the spring!. If it doesn't roll up at all - more tension needed. see above.
The ONE warning though - winding the central shaft to tension the spring is a bit dangerous if you aren't careful. The most likely outcome - you will put a bit of tension on it, then go to reposition your pipe-wrench/vice grips, and the whole shaft will spin to release the newly-applied tension. If your pipe-wrench is off, the sudden rotation will just scare the willies outta you. If it's still on the shaft, but you don't have a VERY firm hold of it, it'll either go flying (probably into you) and break the odd bone or 2 (seen it happen!) or fly around with the shaft and smash into the garage above the door putting one hell of a dent in it (seen that too!).
I'm not suggesting getting someone else to do it, just be careful. You ultimately need to put a LOT of spring tension into it, and if that tension releases in a hurry, well, let's say you'll only make that mistake once. then change your technique (and your shorts!) )
It just a gradual process - wind shaft a bit, tighten U-Bolts to hold in place, test rolling up/down, reposition pipe wrench, then (carefully) undo ubolts whilst holding pipe wrench firmly so it can't rotate, tension some more, tighten u bolts, test again....repeat till door slides up and down as you want.
No rocket science - just a bit of patience and care. Easy-peasy!

Dave, i understand the danger in installing one due to it's loaded tension and it's height but it doesn't look too complicated i just thought there was some "trick of the trade" method that i am missing, there are a few things mainly electrical stuff that i don't go near and i don't care enough for it to learn.... But i am an enthusiast and i believe that everyone can do anything, if they can try to understand how the object works anything is possible.

TimberNut, Thank you for that detailed explanation, i couldn't get to the computer yesterday but me a friend of mine of tried exactly what you just said but without the patience and time ) . I had a pipe wrench but it's i couldn't find it so we tried using the standard size vice grip and it was working until the U bolt could hold it anymore and the shaft started to slip. Atleast now i know what to do, next time i make sure i find the right tool and buy new U bolt cause this doesn't seem to be holding the tension.

fly, i did thought about drilling 2 holes on the shaft and turn it with the screw driver but i am was thinking, if thats how it was done then the manufacturer would have pre-drill the holes for that purpose.

Originally Posted by _fly_

I put a big screwdriver thru it and then started turning until the door rolled up to the open position. I gave it an extra half turn and then tightened that u-bolt

However thanks for that, now i know where the limit when i am turning, because it look like i have to turn alot more then how i did yesterday

Thanks guys, that was alot of help, atleast now i know what i should do

Hi Guys

I have a 4.8m X 2.4m roller and an 1.8m X 2.4m roller for my new shed. (8m long 6m wide and 3.2m high - big smile). My son and I are tossing up trying to install it ourselves or getting someone in, advice I have had is it will be a lot quicker to get someone in. I've downloaded the installation drawings and it looks fairly straightforward. Son will bring home a block and tackle and scaffolding. Are there any tricks I should know or should I leave it to the experts???

Cheers
Benny

Have a look inside anyone elses garage first, to get an idea of where brackets etc are, but then give it a go.
if installing from scratch, the roll should be tied up with rope (or similar when you get it) - DON'T remove the rope until you've hoisted up onto the brackets, and secured with U-Bolts.

Also, ensure the tail end (the bottom edge of the roller door) is inside your rails and secured beneath the stop section (the bit that stops the roller door flying up out of the channels when the door goes all the way up), before removing.

Basically, when you put the door in place, and then untie the door, you dont want it to free-spin and release any tension it has already.

It's not really that hard. Just a bit of care and you'll be fine.

I agree with the Nut. I've installed a few and as long as you are careful and take your time you should be ok. Have a think about what could go wrong and how you can avoid or control it. Benny, if you've got scaff and a block and tackle you should do fine. Getting it safely on the brackets is the hardest part. Most new roller doors have cardboard wrapped around the door. This and some tape is all that keeps it from unraveling. I always add a few pieces of rope to keep it neatly rolled till i'm ready.
This thread has reminded me that both my roller doors need adjusting. I'm going to go do it right now.

Thanks Guys

No probs, I can always get someone out when I stuff it up (eternal pesimist?). I can't wait to get into the shed and making some dust. I has been years since I had it all set up. All my renos have been done with hours wasted finding tools and setting up all my gear each time. I figure 6x6 metres of workspace and 2X6 for storage should be ok. I picked up some sliding doors on ebay which I will build into a storage area and use it as an internal wall with more storage up above the 2x6 area.