My garage doors are total garbage!

[skelrad]

I was greeted at home tonight by the sight of my garage door opener door attach bracket just dangling in mid-air. It had just ripped completely off the door! I hadn't paid much attention to the doors until now, but when I took a closer look at them, I was shocked at how flimsy they are built! You can't tell until you see the thing ripped apart that the interior side of the doors are just made up of some sort of pressed cardboard. Sure the outside and the ribs are sheet aluminum (extremely thin), but the rest looks like it's nothing but paper.

I straigtened the bracket out as best as I could and reattached it using a few new holes in the top and bottom ribs, but there's no way this is going to hold for long. Any ideas for creating a better attach point? My only thought is to seat a couple of the attach bolts in something like a 1/4" thick 12x12 piece of wood, then use construction adhesive to glue that puppy to the door panel. The panels aren't substantial enough to hold onto just the screws (like they are initially installed) but I think spreading the surface out like this might be enough to keep it from destroying itself again. Thoughts?

 

[Cryptic1911]

time for a new insulated door and a liftmaster 3800

 

[koditten]

Does the door have aq support bar/bracket that spans the full width? Without that bar the door will flex too much when the opener starts to pull it open. Most door do not come with this bar. It is only needed when you have and electric opener.

 

[koditten]

Any chances you could snap some pics?

KO

 

[skelrad]

There is a long aluminum channel that spans the top of the door if that's what you mean. It looks like it was mangled before I bought the house, which didn't help matters with the opener I'm sure. I put 4 more sheet metal screws into the top of the door through this brace, which stiffened it up a bit. It doesn't really seem to do much to help the GDO attach bracket though.

I'll post some pics tomorrow.

 

[tomshep]

If it is a basic raised panel door you are on the right track by spanning across the top with a 2x4 and attaching that to the door to spread the load. The attach the open to the 2x4.

Tom

 

[AndyL]

OMG, ignore these folks.

First off - it's a tear-away bracket. It's actually designed to TEAR away.

Problem 1 - your forces on your garage door are too high. Your opener's open force should have tripped before tearing the bracket.

Problem 2 - Wayne dalton 9100, springs are encased withing the torque tube - this is why you're instructed to check the doors balance monthly. Because there's no visual cue, when they break. Either you've got a broken spring (or two) - or your door is binding badly.

Solution - turn the fricken forces WAY down. On a 9100 - should be running in the 2kg range. Fix the problem with the door. The tape they provide for tyvek etc wrap (white, reinforced like duct tape - but; not glossy) works great to re-attach (and hide the paper tears). Then install the new style wayne dalton operator bracket for the 9100's - it's a plate that mounts over the top rail of the door.

DO NOT INSTALL 2x4s on your door. Use your damn heads - this issue is caused by improperly set forces; you don't resolve this with framing.

 

[upndown]

 

[imnutz]

Another great advertisement for Wayne Dalton doors

 

[CNGsaves]

Best way to get accurate info is post some pics. Can use your cell phone and send picture to your own email address rather than to another cell phone number. Just change where you are sending the text pic.

Edit the first GJ post and Go Advanced, then Manage Attachments and click Browse to find the pics on your harddrive. Click Upload and then Save.

Let's see what all is going on !!

 

[AndyL]

Another great advertisement for Wayne Dalton doors

You can argue that either way - they've changed that design (that plate now says do not attach opener here - required for UL only) circa 06(?). The intention is much like the chamberlain group's use of plastic gears - they only strip when there's a big problem, its a failsafe - a fuse to prevent structural damage to the door/opener. The new style bracket still tears away it just doesn't tear the paper...

Compared to other brands that don't - and when springs break and someone has the forces cranked up - and you replace a top section... an openers j arm and a set of gears - it does make sense...

its a whole lot cheaper to reattach a bracket than replace a section - Wayne Dalton's pretty good at the cover its **** with engineering philosophy...

 

[larry_g]

I have to agree with AndyL here. Make sure that the door works freely without the GDO attached. If you cannot move the door freely then do what you have to do to get it operating correctly, adjust or new springs, lube the rollers, align the track, or unfreeze the bottom of the door from the floor. My shop doors are manual and I become aware real fast when things start to get tight and the opening force rises.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[skelrad]

I didn't realize the bracket was meant to tear away, although now that you say that the construction of it all makes a lot more sense! I can easily lift my garage door and it stays where I put it, but I will check to make sure it's moving freely.

 

[AndyL]

It's rare, but I have seen these peel off in one other instance - when the close limit is set way too far down - but it's usually evident with a permanent dent in the rib under the tear away plate. What happens is the top 2 little screws get peeled out as the bracket is forced into the lower rib, then eventually the adhesive fails at the top; then it's just a matter of time before the lower adhesive/screws rip off.

 

[Big-Foot]

Where is the OP located?

I recently had my garage door freeze to the floor (Minnesota) which prevented the door opener from opening. Luckily the torque sensor on the GDO reversed the direction quickly..

 

[Gary S]

My neighbor's garage door just suffered the same problem. The installer put the opener on wrong. He didn't read the instructions.
I bought my doors myself and installed them myself. They don't have that problem. I read the excellent instructions included with the door and it plainly stated that I could not connect a power opener directly to the aluminum door frame. To install an opener, I needed to install a steel reinforcement strut first.
And, what do you know? It works perfectly as designed.

This is what can be expected to happen if the door is improperly installed and/or if it isn't properly maintained.

RTFM people.

 

[skelrad]

Where is the OP located?

I recently had my garage door freeze to the floor (Minnesota) which prevented the door opener from opening. Luckily the torque sensor on the GDO reversed the direction quickly..

That's definitely possible since I'm in Wisconsin. I'll see what the sensor on the opener is set at. The joys of buying a foreclosed property and picking up the pieces!

 

[koditten]

I have to agree that we have a tune problem with the door. That is why I asked for pics. Tell the op to ignore everyone seems a bit harsh.

I know we have people that are pro's, but please don't make it sound like we are hacks because we aren't in the door biz.

Andy: were did this info about the door and spring come from? Did I miss something or you infering because of the description of damage?

You are obviously very knowledgeable about doors, so please continue to share your knowledge.

Later

KO

 

[skelrad]

I just tested the door and it feels like it moves freely on the tracks. I can raise it fairly easily with one hand, and it doesn't fall or rise further when I stop lifting. I checked the open and close force settings on the opener, and they are set perfectly according to the manual. So I really have no idea why all of the sudden this door decided to self destruct. Obviously something was wrong, but I don't know what it was.

There was no material left for the screw to grab in the top hole of the bracket, so I drilled a new hole in the bracket (you can't see the new screw in the picture - it's just below the empty top hole).

I straightened out the white bracket as well as the top aluminum door brace (mostly to the right side outside of the picture where it had pulled away from the door) and reattached it as best as I could.

I obviously want the GDO and door to operate the way they are supposed to. The intent of my first post was not to just override all good sense and make the door work no matter how terribly it was balanced or set up. I was really just trying to figure out the best way to reattach the white bracket in the long run. I've used what's left of the real estate to attach the bracket back on, but even with a perfectly balanced door, I don't see this thing holding up in the long run because of how much of the door underneath the bracket ripped out. That's why I was curious what people thought would be a good way to reinforce the bracket. I just want to reinforce the area so it holds up. I think using a thin board glued to the door behind the bracket that the bracket can attach to may do the trick.

I'm still shocked at just how cheap these doors are, but since I didn't choose them, I guess I can't complain!

 

[AndyL]

I know we have people that are pro's, but please don't make it sound like we are hacks because we aren't in the door biz.

Andy: were did this info about the door and spring come from? Did I miss something or you infering because of the description of damage?

His description of damage and construction made it pretty easy Could have been a wayne dalton RP36, I suppose... (now that he's posted pics - I was correct) - the only other manufacturer with a paper back and molded ribs - used a VERY different operator bracket that didn't glue down . not that I know every manufacturer's product line; but the options were few...

The suggested repair was a hack, those of us who are pro's - shake our heads every time we walk into these... I know it's a strange thing - but sometimes you need to understand the whole picture before you can decide you know better... Just moving that pivot back 1.5" throws operation of the door out of wack - there's actually a formula for optimal location of that mounting point - which isnt 1.5" further back from the door face...

I repair a few of these a week, so in my world its a common rant I rip off more than a few 2x4's that have been slapped up as a "fix".

I've never seen freezing down of WD doors - but that's just me; the bottom weatherstrip sheds the ice quite nicely (I know another local manufacturer - who's bottom bulbs do freeze down - so it's not impossible as a cause; just not something I see around here)

skelrad:
Find your local WD dealer, get the new operator bracket, and abandon that current setup... The new bracket is 1000x better than the old, well worth the 10-15$ they'll charge you for it... (if you can't find em - don't want to deal with them, whatever, pm me - I can send you one)

 

[upndown]

Looking at picture #2 that little black line tells me that strut was probably binding against the operator arm' Those doors were not designed for that style strut! Install a couple more Tek screws on either side of the one above the operator bracket and call it good!

 

[skelrad]

Find your local WD dealer, get the new operator bracket, and abandon that current setup... The new bracket is 1000x better than the old, well worth the 10-15$ they'll charge you for it...

If there is a different bracket out there, that would be perfect. I can't find any reference to that bracket online though. What should I be looking for exactly?

I'll keep looking for the cause of the initial problem, but putting a better bracket in place would be great!

 

[AndyL]

Looking at picture #2 that little black line tells me that strut was probably binding against the operator arm' Those doors were not designed for that style strut! Install a couple more Tek screws on either side of the one above the operator bracket and call it good!

No - Wayne dalton's been randomly adding those to the dealer packs for years - I dunno if there's rhyme or reason to when they add them... But sometimes they do - always on 18's always on factory glazed. The rest - about 1/8th...

If there is a different bracket out there, that would be perfect. I can't find any reference to that bracket online though. What should I be looking for exactly?

I'll keep looking for the cause of the initial problem, but putting a better bracket in place would be great!

I'll grab you a picture next trip to the garage - if you call a wayne dalton dealer - just tell them you want the new style operator bracket - if they're not sure - Just tell them your old bracket ripped off; and you want the new style that slides over the top of the section.

 

[mryyc]

I have the same door, actually it froze to the ground here last week and the opener tripped out (was fine afterwards) Here's a picture of my bracket.

 

[AndyL]

as promised... now how do i link it...

bah, stupid forums - we'll just link it the way we know best...

Sorry about the background, needed something more matte, was painting some registers yesterday...

 

[skelrad]

Thanks for all of the input! Learn something new every day.

 

[koditten]

Thanks Andy.

With that, as soon as I saw the pics I started to laugh. I have the same exact door and bracket.

Glad to see all this info being shared.

KO

 

[JakeKohl]

I have the same door, actually it froze to the ground here last week and the opener tripped out (was fine afterwards) Here's a picture of my bracket.

I noted a difference here, this bracket has four screws holding the metal piece to the glued on door brace....the OP's only has two...hmmmmm.