Installation Standards

Many installers don't understand what problems can occur when improperly installing a door with a 12" radius...

Why does my door have a gap between the top section and the section below it? Is it because it knows it's a top section and it just wants to play with my mind? Probably not. But if the rest of the door sections don't have any gaps between them, more than likely it is not a manufacturing or rollforming problem.

Manufacturers are quick to point out that if none of the other sections have gaps, then more than likely the problem stems from the way the door was installed. Quite simply, unless you have a glass section or a bottom section, the remaining intermediate sections really don't know who gets to be the top section... only the installer knows that. Ultimately, the installer's decision to use one or the other sections really doesn't matter either.

So what causes the problem? The majority of the problem is created from the use and installation of 12" radius track Installers may not been properly trained or are unaware of the many nuances that are involved with installing 12" radius track. As a result, gaps are introduced into the door at the top section.

How do I know the 12" radius track has been improperly installed? Raise the door and look at the top section in the open position; is the section kicked up and not in a straight line with the section behind it? When you raise the door, does the roller in the section following the top section run up against the flat portion of the track instead of in the curved portion of the track (does the inside top of the trac have roller marks on it) as it travels out of the radius and into the horizontal? Put a 6ft level on the front of the door.

Are all the sections plumb with each other? Is the top section kicked in towards the garage? If the answer is yes to any one of these questions and you have a gap at the top section, it's because of the way the door was installed.

How do I fix the problem? Install 15" radius track instead of using 12" radius track. You can cut up to two inches off of a 15" radius track and install it in the same amount of headroom as a 12" radius track without the gapping problem. On a door that has already been installed with 12" radius track, try raising the track 1½" - 1¾", if there is headroom to do so. Reset the top fixtures so the top section is up against the header plumb with the other sections and parallel with the section behind it when it is in the open position. Make sure the flag bracket is set correctly and that the graduation is correct.

Keep in mind that once you have operated a pan door with 12" radius track that has not been properly installed you will have induced a gap into the section. This has occurred because the sections have bent back against themselves while in the horizontal position. Once the door is closed and the sections straighten out, the gap will become present. Upon completing the track and top fixture repairs, the section will need to be straightened or tweaked back to its original position before the gap can be totally removed. Twisting the section or slamming the top section are two procedures that work well in straightening a section. Summary: Use 15" radius. It works smoother and the door will last longer... and it's far less forgiving than 12" radius.

Article originally published by First United Door Technologies