Lifting gates – one of the most convenient ways to arrange a ride into the garage. They are easy to install and use. However, along with all their advantages, they have a considerable cost, due to the complex structure. Consider whether you can make them yourself, as well as the main characteristics of the lifting gate for the garage: dimensions, prices and principles of operation.
Garage overhead doors: sizes, prices, types and features
Any gate, the opening of which occurs due to the raising, is called a lift. They are divided into several types, each of which has its own characteristics.
Rotary sectional doors – a monolithic design, the lower part of which is pushed forward in the process of opening. The main part of the gate at the same time goes inside the garage. Outside there is only a small visor. On the one hand, their transportation to the site, as well as installation, requires quite a lot of effort, but on the other hand, this is the best option if we are talking about independent production. The price of the overhead gate is significantly lower than the sectional ones.
Lifting sectional doors do not require free space, since all sections are arranged horizontally. If we are talking about the acquisition and installation of such gates by professionals, this option is much more popular. In addition, in small areas, this type of design allows the use of the maximum amount of space for arranging the yard.
Tilt-up garage doors are such a design, which in the open position looks like a visor, located horizontally and slightly pushed forward. The use of just such a system has many advantages that made it quite popular.
The main advantage of the swing-up construction is a fairly simple mechanism of action. Among the components of the elements distinguish the frame, canvas and guides that provide movement around its axis. Thus, the gate changes its position from vertical to horizontal.
The steel frame is used as a base, which is mounted in the garage opening or behind it. This is the leading part of the gate. If its production is carried out independently, then for this purpose metal pipes with a rectangular cross section are used.
At the time of opening of the gate, the lifting levers are used, as well as the roller mechanism, which ensures the movement of the gate along the guides, fixing them at the top point. The entire lower part of the canvas rises, forming a kind of visor under the ceiling. In this position, the compensation springs are as free as possible, while with the gate closed they are tensioned.
There are two types of opening mechanism: hinged-lever and on counterweights. The first option is simpler and safer at the same time. It is very popular in use, as it is devoid of the danger of blocking the system and provides a simple movement of the blade along the desired trajectory. In this case, the main requirements for the system include adjustment of the tension of the springs and high-quality installation of the guides, the installation of which must be carried out with high accuracy.
The second option, based on counterweights, is arranged as follows: a special cable is attached to the lower corners of the frame and passes through a special block and counterweight, which is mounted on the opposite side of the winch. Such a system is preferable when it comes to the serious weight of the gate.
Helpful advice! It is possible to equip the gate lifting system with an electric drive with a remote control.
If we compare the design of the lifting gate with the other, then there are several clear advantages:
- strength and integrity of the fabric provides reliable protection against hacking and penetration into the garage;
- the material from which the gate is made is not subject to corrosion and does not lose its qualities under the influence of external factors;
- in the open position they do not take up much space, so that they can be installed even in a small area;
- after installation they can be sheathed with various facing materials, including rigid inserts and panels;
- can be additionally insulated using special polystyrene foam panels;
- the opening system can be both manual and automatic;
- can be installed in single and double garages.
Like any other design, the overhead gate has its drawbacks:
- installation can be made only in strictly rectangular openings;
- when the gate is open, they reduce the height of the opening by about 20 cm;
- the wholeness of the web does not allow repairing its individual sections and, in the event of damage, it will be necessary to replace the whole one;
- The spring design, which is responsible for raising and lowering the gate, is designed only for a certain weight, which should be taken into account when warming. If the overall weight of the structure is too large, additional counterweights will be required;
- after installation, gaps can remain between the web and the opening, which can be sealed with a rubber seal. However, in this case the garage should not be heated.
The price of lifting garage doors consists of many factors from which it is possible to distinguish:
- fabric manufacturing material;
- quality of the lifting mechanism;
- availability of automatic control system.
When it comes to the cost of the gate, it is safe to say that it largely determines the quality and durability of the structure. Cheap gates are likely to require repair or replacement of individual elements of the mechanism very soon, so excessive savings are inappropriate here.
Another important nuance to which attention should be paid is the thickness of the leaf, which is used for the gate. Depending on the material, it can be from 1 to 45 mm. If we are talking about the use of sandwich panels, the thickness up to 20 mm speaks of cold models, more than this indicator is a warmed version.
Today, you can buy a lifting gate in a medium-quality garage for 16,000 rubles. The maximum price of a lifting gate for a garage reaches 50,000 rubles (fully loaded). Consider a few of the most popular models, their features and prices:
| Manufacturer | Special features | Dimensions (width and height), mm | price, rub. |
| “LegProm” (Russia) | Possibility of additional installation of an automatic drive, guaranteed number of cycles of use – 25000 | 2000-6000х1800-3100 | from 35,000 |
| SIBARS (Russia) | Automatic sectional doors on the remote control. The thickness of the “sandwich panel” 40-60 mm | 2000х1800 | from 22225 |
| Zaiger (Switzerland) | Insulated sectional doors with a panel thickness of 53 mm. | 2100×1800 | from 26312 |
| “Alutech” (Russia) | Existence of adjustable roller arms provide control of an adjunction of a cloth to an aperture | 2700×2100 | from 35659 |
| DoorHan (Russia) | The requirement for a lintel is 90 mm. Full automation. Bracket adjustment in 2 planes | 2000×1900 | 26900 |
| KORN (Russia) | Automatic sectional door with springs. Large selection of color and texture solutions | 2500×2390 | 30,900 |
In the arrangement of the garage doors play an important role, since you have to open and close them every day. And on how convenient this design will be, the saving of your time, as well as effort, depends in many respects. Therefore, when it becomes necessary to buy a lifting gate to the garage, the price is not always the decisive factor.
Another important factor that affects the cost of a garage door is their size. To order custom designs or make them by hand, the required dimensions can be calculated independently.
For example, 1.8-2 m is the standard width for a car. The dimensions of the garage doors, respectively, should be slightly larger in order to ensure free entry, without the risk of hooking the opening with the side section. To do this, it is necessary to provide a reserve of approximately 0.5 m on each side. As a result, the resulting width will be about 3 m. By the same principle, it is possible to calculate the required height of the gate. The average figure will be 2.1-2.5 m. The same are the standard dimensions of the garage door.
Helpful advice! If you are the owner of an unusual small car, it is not necessary to make calculations based on its data. It is better to buy a standard-sized overhead garage door. The car can be replaced over time, but it will be difficult to completely dismantle the system.
As for the purchase of ready-made sectional structures, here the standard dimensions of the overhead gates for the garage largely depend on the manufacturer. This is a very important point, since many models have their own characteristics, because of which their installation in the opening of an unsuitable size will be impossible.
For example, the Belarusian company Alutech has models on sale, the minimum banner for which is 45-51 cm, while for most other manufacturers this figure does not exceed 31 cm. In addition, the mechanism used plays a big role. This can be either a tension spring or a torsion. And each manufacturer sets its own step, creating a table of sizes of garage lifting gates.
And although today manufacturers are ready to fulfill almost any individual order, it is important to know the exact size of the required construction, since every 5-10 cm is an opportunity to save about 5 thousand rubles. It is best to contact in advance the representative of the manufacturer, from which you decided to buy a lifting and turning gate, and specify all the nuances. In addition, you can invite a specialist to the house, who will take all the necessary measurements and save you from unnecessary trouble.
Making the garage door with your own hands is quite possible. To do this, you only need to pick up a drawing of the manufacture of self-made overhead doors for the garage, and also follow the step by step instructions in the work. Consider each stage of working with the design from the beginning to the end.
All materials for creating the gate should be selected according to the mechanism you plan to use.
Consider an example of making the most simple homemade version. You will need:
- wooden bars of various sizes: 12×8 cm (for the box) and 10×10 cm (ceiling);
- metal strips;
- corners for the frame size 3,5×3,5×0,4 cm;
- corners for rails 4x4x0.4 cm;
- channel bracket size 8×4.3×0.5 cm;
- spring (inner diameter 3 cm);
- for the tension regulator, you will need a metal bar with a section of 0.8 cm.
In addition, you will need a canvas, as well as an electric drive, which will provide automatic opening and closing of the gate. There are three options for the canvas, which can be used to create a lifting garage door with your own hands: a plank shield, topped with metal sheets, a sandwich panel or a solid canvas.
If we talk about a completely independent production and installation, then a board made of boards, covered with sheets of galvanized iron and a layer of protective composition, is best suited. If you want to provide additional thermal insulation, you can use polystyrene foam, foam plastic or insulation in the mats.
Helpful advice! To give the gate a more attractive view from the outside, they can be sheathed with plastic or wood panels.
Before you buy the necessary materials, experts recommend to see as much as possible thematic materials on the topic of how to make garage doors with your own hands: drawings, photos and videos.
In order to assemble the structure, you will need the following tools:
- level;
- hammer;
- marker;
- drill;
- screwdrivers;
- welding machine;
- Bulgarian;
- spanners;
- drill.
Once you have verified that you have all the necessary components, you can proceed to the design of the system. The easiest option in this case is to carry out all the necessary measurements of the opening and find a ready-made drawing on the Internet. You can try to make a sketch yourself, but this is quite a troublesome and painstaking task, since the slightest mistake can lead to the fact that the design simply will not fall into place.
Focusing on the existing drawing, you can proceed to the procurement of materials and begin installation. The first step is to assemble a box from the bars. They can be fastened to each other with the help of metal plates or special squares. The main thing is that the box fits to the opening in size and can be fixed in it with the help of pins.
Helpful advice! In order to provide additional strength to the structure, the lower part of the frame must be recessed into the ground by at least 2 cm.
After the frame is ready, it is sheathed with a shield and covered with sheet material. The basis of the mechanism is made from the corner as follows: with a drill in one shelf, you need to drill 2 holes with a diameter of 1 cm. They will serve to fix to the longitudinal posts. Three more holes in the bottom shelf make for mounting the spring bracket. In order to fix the channel bracket, 3 more holes are made in one of the shelves, according to the drawing of the lifting gate for the garage with your own hands.
Next, the bracket and the spring are connected to each other using a special adjustment plate, which is made from a strip of iron. Spring clings to its lower turns. And to its lower part joins a tension regulator made from a bar.
Thus, one side is a ring, and on the other it is necessary to cut the thread. Using a corner (0.85 cm) in which a hole is made, an articulated unit is mounted. It must be welded to the frame in the middle between the hole for the lever, which is responsible for lifting the mechanism, and the lower edge of the frame. The distance from the hole for the lever should be 12 cm.
By means of a welding machine, a plate with a hole for the regulator is attached to the end of the lever. Then it remains only to produce rails on which the mechanism will move. For this, 2 corners are made up between themselves so that the distance between their peaks is 5 cm. One edge of the resulting shape is welded to a plate with holes.
In all of this, it is important to observe the calculations: 8 cm space should remain between the lower edge of the cross-member and the axial line. If everything works out as a result of the work, then the channel sections can be welded to the opposite edges of the rail, while keeping a distance of 14-15 cm With the help of an ordinary bolt, the ceiling bar and the channel bar are connected.
Helpful advice! In order to make the resulting design look more attractive, it is painted. All hard-to-reach places of the mechanism must be painted before the structure is assembled.
They will help to better understand the mechanism of the device and the mounting of the lifting gate with their hands video and photo instructions.
In addition to the general manufacturing technology, there are a number of additional tips provided by specialists, as well as those who have already assembled such gates themselves:
- You should not refuse welding and choose simpler, at first glance, methods of fastening. So you have to drill significantly fewer holes, and at the same time the mount will be more reliable;
- the height of the opening should not be lower than 2.2 meters, otherwise its use will be inconvenient;
- it should be borne in mind that between the top of the opening and the ceiling should also be a certain distance – about 0.35-0.5 m;
- if you had to deal with a low enough opening, it is better to position the drum behind;
- Be sure to leave a small groove in the bottom profile of the web. This will make it possible to install a seal;
- to ensure long and reliable operation of the system, the total weight of the web should not exceed 100 kg;
- to make a drive for a hoisting gate with your own hands, you can use a reversible self-locking winch, and use a modified car alarm as a remote control;
- to provide additional coverage of the garage, in the canvas, you can make additional inserts of light-transmitting materials;
- special locking devices will help prevent pinching, and also help protect the gate from breaking.
Having listened to all these recommendations, you will be able to independently manufacture a structure that will not be inferior to the purchased function in any way. In addition, it will be able to protect the premises not only from the weather and other environmental factors, but also from intruders.
A more detailed description of how these tips can be implemented, you can look at the video. With their own hands, the overhead door for a garage can be equipped with all the most modern technologies that are available today in ready-made factory models.
If you use drawings, photos and videos, do-it-yourself gates will not yield to the purchase with virtually nothing. It is only important to show a little patience and diligence to make daily use of the garage more comfortable for you.
If you use drawings, photos and videos, do-it-yourself gates will not yield to the purchase with virtually nothing. It is only important to show a little patience and diligence to make daily use of the garage more comfortable for you.
