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How Garage Door Installation Works

Garage doors on newer home.
If you’re a decent DIY-er, installing attractive and functional garage doors could be an exciting weekend project.
iStockphoto.com/Steven Miric

­If you've installed a replacement door or two around your home, it seems pretty simple -- all it takes is tightening a couple of screws and you're done. Installing t­he largest door in your house, however, is not quite so simple. Garage door in­stallation, whether manual or automatic, can be difficult and dangerous. Manual garage door installation is much easier than automatic garage door installation, but the one you choose generally depends on what kind of door you have.

Manual garage doors are those that you can just pull u­p with a handle. They are much lighter than automatic doors, so they are easier to install. However, the lightness of a manual door limits the type of door you can have. Eying that nice solid wood door for your garage? A heavy door like that is definitely going to have to be an automatic one.

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Automatic doors require not only the installation of a heavy door, but the motor and cables as well. Automatic doors are much more common now because of their convenience, but in a case such as the heavy wood door, they are a necessity. A strong motor is required to pull up a heavy door. However, automatic doors are not without their faults -- they quickly become a manual door when the power goes out.

­No matter what kind of door you are installing, be very careful. The instructions that follow are merely guidelines. You should read your garage door manufacturer's instructions and owner's manual very carefully before attempting either type of installation. And if you're a do-it-yourself greenhorn, skip this project and hire an experienced professional. It may be more expensive, but garage door installation is on the higher scale of DIY difficulty.

If you have a few DIY projects under your belt, however, read on to discover how to install a manual garage door.