78% of homeowners have garages. Garages can be many things. But they often go neglected in comparison to other rooms in one’s home.

Over 25% of Americans surveyed say their garage is too cluttered for a car or to even get in to. But garages, like the rest of your home, need some TLC.

A good way of starting this process is installing a new garage door opener. This will ensure that you can open that door and start cleaning out and treating your garage better.

Garage door opener installation does not have to be a hard process. Scroll down for five tips to help make installation easy.

1. Garage Door Opener Installation 101: Make Sure Your Opener is Even the Problem

Professionals recommend that you have garage door maintenance at least once a year.

Few people realize this, and so it is important to make sure all the door parts are working. If your garage door opens slowly or is noisy, it may not be your opener.

So before purchasing a new one, call out a pro to check on rollers, springs, and coils. It may cost more, but a garage door is nothing to play with.

Garages cause 30,000 injuries in the US every year. Make sure to call a professional, so you are not calling a doctor later on.

2. Check the Door Balance

Make sure the door has balance. Close it and pull the emergency release cord. Lift it up about halfway and let it go.

The door should not move at all.

If it slides up or down, this may mean that the springs need adjustments. This, again, can be dangerous, so please call a professional to make changes.

3. Buy the Right Opener For Your Garage

When you buy an opener, you will have to choose between 1/3 horsepower or 1/2 horsepower. If you have a heavier or ornate garage door, you may need to buy a 3/4 horsepower opener.

The horsepower does not affect the door speed in any way. It is more for the weight and number of doors you have.

Openers are available with a chain drive, screw drive or belt drive. Chain drives are cheapest, but the loudest. Screw drives are easiest to install and are mid-range in price. But they are still loud. Belt drives are the quietest and most expensive ones.

You should buy an opener depending on your budget and the location of your garage. For example, if you live above your garage, you may not want a Chain drive.

4. How to Install a Garage Opener: Set the Opener on a Ladder

Place the opener on a ladder. Use scrap wood if you need it to be higher. Then, align the opener’s rail with the center of the door.

Make sure the door is open during installation. It makes it easier to align the opener in the center if the door is open.

5. Buy a Heavy Duty Angle Iron

A lot of openers come with a weak strap to hold them up. Do not rely on that. The mounting straps are often flimsy. Like, so frail, you can bend them in your hand.

So, buy a slotted angle iron at a hardware store. If you know the measurements, they can cut it to size for you at the store.

Using a slotted angle iron will make your opener’s life longer.

Garage Maintenance Matters

Make sure to maintain your garage and all its parts.

You use it for your car. And even if you use it for storage, upkeep is a matter of safety.

You wouldn’t go without changing the batteries in your fire alarms. You wouldn’t allow water to collect on the bathroom floor. Don’t let your garage door become a home hazard.

Do you have questions or need any help with your garage door opener installation? Please feel free to contact us!