Garage Door Panels Buckling

[Extremerecluse]

I have an 18' wide non-insulated garage door. Three of the 5 panels are reinforced with metal struts including the top panel. The top panel is buckled and the strut is snapped in half from the constant bending. I have chosen to use
1 x 4 lumber in order to reinforce the three without struts. Wish I could find some 1 x 4 x 18'. I have a 3/4 HP Craftsmen electric opener. I don't think the lumber will fail. It is not too heavy.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

Before doing some Jack-leg RE maybe you should first, check the downward force on the opener. Then, if you can find out or know the manufacturer of the door, contact them and see if they might replace them.

If anything, they might at least want to see the results for themselves for R&D purposes.

 

[neilc]

You can replace the struts. I just replaced a 24' strut through a garage door installer. It cost me $240. I do think the struts will be better for that 18' wide door than you would get from 1x4 lumber.

I'd also get the opener down force adjusted. It sounds like it is causing too much push against the door in the down position resulting in the bow.

 

[upndown]

You just now noticed theres a problem? In over 40 years I've seen cracks in the top section and strut, but I've never seen one split in half. I can't even imagine what your top section looks like!

You need to address the issues that trashed your top section for starters..down force etc. forget the 1x4 not gonna work! Unless you think that's stronger than steel.

 

[matt_i]

If you want to go heavy duty, a piece of 12ga unistrut is going to be a light year ahead of those light gage "top hat" channels. One can order it in 20' lengths from electrical supply houses.