Do-it-yourself external garage doors. Do-it-yourself lifting garage doors: how to do it better

You can install any gate in the garage, including the popular overhead gates. Despite the complexity of the design, there is nothing difficult in installation. If you have a strong desire and the necessary tools, you can make overhead garage doors with your own hands without any problems.

Features of overhead garage doors

Gates that do not open like doors, but go under the ceiling, are assembled from several parts:

a skeleton made of durable elements;
one-piece sash inserted into the frame;
return spring assembly;
mechanism for changing the position of the sash.

This design is in great demand among garage owners because it has a lot of advantages.

Advantages

Lifting gates are characterized by the following positive qualities:

compactness - the design takes up less space in and around the garage;
ease of assembly and installation;
automatic opening, which can be achieved by equipping the gate with a drive;
free lifting of the sash, so there is no need to remove snow before entering the garage;
noiselessness, which is guaranteed by a special mechanism for moving the door leaf.

Despite the advantages of overhead gates, some garage owners find compelling arguments against installing them.

Flaws

The following disadvantages of this design can force the garage owner to change his decision regarding equipping the garage with overhead doors:

low degree of protection from intruders;
inability to retain heat;
prohibition on frequent raising and lowering of the sash;
Possibility of installation only in a rectangular opening;
the need to completely replace the canvas if it is damaged.

You can turn a blind eye to certain disadvantages of overhead gates. Some car owners ignore the fact that door design, going upward, is mounted only in a rectangular opening. The fact is that this disadvantage is compensated wide possibilities in finishing the canvas. For example, small windows made of glass containing wire mesh in the thickness may be built into the leaf of an overhead garage door.

The principle of movement of the sash (rotary, tilting, folding mechanisms)

The gate, which goes to the ceiling, allowing the car to drive inside the garage, looks like a flat canvas that completely fills the opening. In order for it to rise easily, it must be supported by a rigid frame, securely attached to the wall of the room. The overhead gate leaf moves up or down along the side profile, which acts as a guide.

A special mechanism consisting of springs, levers and rollers forces the canvas to move from place. The sash, which is set in motion by these elements, rises along the guides and goes upward, after which it slowly takes a horizontal position and becomes parallel to the ceiling.

Easy and quick lifting of the canvas up is provided by springs. When the gate is locked, it stretches. And the opening of the door structure brings them into a compressed state. Springs and all other elements of the mechanism for moving a solid gate leaf can be forced to perform their task either manually or automatically.

Opening overhead gates at the touch of a button is achieved by electric drive, which need to be specially equipped with the door structure.

Preparing to install a standard garage door

The first task that a car owner who has the idea of making a lifting gate needs to complete is to draw up a drawing. You won’t be able to do without it, since the final result of the work depends on it.

Drawing with indicated dimensions

A diagram indicating all dimensions is a document that can protect you from making skewed gates. By the way, when constructing a lifting door structure, it is advisable to have on hand not only a simple schematic representation of the gate, but also a plan with its isometric projection.

The dimensions of the lifting door structure should be 10 cm greater than the length of the opening. By adding these centimeters to the door parameters, you will be able to avoid the appearance of gaps between the lifting structure and the walls of the garage. A large room may require the manufacture of gates with dimensions of 6x2.2 m. And the frame itself, created from steel or wooden elements, should be made taking into account the dimensions of the opening.

Having finished drawing up the drawing, you need to arm yourself with a pen and a notebook in order to note in it what will be needed in the process of manufacturing the overhead gates.

How to choose the right materials

To install overhead gates in your garage, you need to prepare:

2 wooden beams with a cross section of 100x100 mm and 120x80 mm, or strong steel profiles;
corners 4 mm thick with parameters 4x4 cm;
channel 40x80 mm;
a steel rod with a diameter of 0.8 cm;
2 springs having an internal diameter of 3 cm;
2 movable brackets;
anchor bolts and self-tapping screws;
rollers;
cable or chain.

Most of the requirements are placed on the material from which the canvas itself will be made. To create a lifting (it can be folding or folding) sash, boards with a thickness of at least 2.5 cm, corrugated sheets and plastic panels are suitable. You can make a canvas from ordinary sandwich panels. Same good material board shields are considered.

The door leaf of a rising door structure cannot be made from solid wood. Otherwise, the sash will turn out to be heavy. In addition, in the rain and snow it will become damp and swell.

If, after making the door leaf, the garage owner intends to insulate them, then he can use basalt wool or expanded polystyrene. These materials meet fire safety requirements. Having insulated the door structure, you can sheathe it with galvanized steel sheet, which will protect the metal parts of the gate from rust.

Required Tools

For measurements you will need a metal tape with divisions (tape measure), a building level and a corner. In the future you will need:

angle grinder for smoothing metal after welding;
welding machine;
an electric jigsaw, which is useful for cutting and processing wooden beams;
a drill to make holes in materials;
a screwdriver for equipping the blade with fasteners;
hammer, set of screwdrivers and wrenches.

How to make a lift-and-fold gate structure with your own hands

To make a gate that goes to the ceiling when opened, you will need to perform the following steps in turn:

Prepare an opening for the structure, that is, insert vertical supports into the flooring to a depth of 2 cm, which will be pieces of 120x80 mm timber, and attach them with anchor bolts.
Assemble the frame of the structure, for which it is necessary at a distance, equal to length garage doors, install the horizontal beam in such a position that it is parallel to the crossbar of the opening.
Weld two guide rails from 4 metal corners, along which the rollers attached to the sash will later pass, and attach them using self-tapping screws and metal fittings to the beams located at the top.
Build the frame of the canvas. To do this, weld square profiles from metal corners, connect them to each other and attach them to the finished box of diagonal beams.
Equip the corners at the top of the frame for the canvas with rollers, for which you need to use a drill and fasteners.
Cover the gate frame with anti-corrosion material using self-tapping screws.
Equip the vertical support beams with movable brackets, installing channels of these mechanisms on them.
Attach to the bottom of the beams, or rather, to the suspended brackets and the ends of the channels using a spring.
Hang the finished canvas on the manufactured frame.

After this, you should take care of protecting the garage from intruders by equipping it with locks and latches. It’s worth thinking about how and with what to insulate your homemade overhead gates.

How to insulate garage doors

The garage can be protected from heat loss if the inside of the lifting doors is covered with foam plastic. This material is characterized high rigidity, does not absorb moisture and does not allow it to escape warm air. The quality of the foam, despite the low price, is beyond doubt. In addition, this material is easy to work with, because it weighs little.

It is first necessary to treat all holes between the frame and the canvas using polyurethane foam. This cunning trick will protect the garage from heat loss through the door structure and the occurrence of drafts. Then you need to coat the gate leaf with a primer or paint that protects against rust. When the coating has dried, you can begin to insulate the door structure.

Polystyrene foam can be laid on metal surface gates or insert battens between the joists. If you like the first option, then the insulation will simply need to be glued to the sash. And when choosing the second method of laying polystyrene foam, the first thing you need to do is create a frame from wooden lining, and only then deal with insulation.

Later, in order for the gate to open and close without difficulty, it is recommended to adjust the spring tension by tightening the nut. If this does not help, you can change the location where this element is fixed. Lifting gates will tip over easily if they are equipped with a door handle from the outside at a distance of less than 1 m from the ground.

Video: how to make the simplest homemade overhead gates

The main condition for the successful completion of work on the construction of overhead gates is correct preliminary calculations. In addition, in order for the door structure delivered to the garage to cause pride and not regret, you need to take on its manufacture with construction skills.

We install lifting swing gates for the garage with your own hands

Up and over gates- this is the most convenient, reliable, practical, but quite expensive type of enclosing structure for a garage. In the open position, they take a horizontal position and move forward slightly, forming a small canopy over the entrance.

Their pros and cons, as well as self-installation, will be discussed in this article.

Advantages and disadvantages of this type of gate

The up-and-over design has several clear advantages over other types of garage doors:

durable solid fabric provides reliable protection against unauthorized entry and burglary;
characterized high stability to corrosion and other negative consequences environmental influences (subject to manufacturing technology and recommendations for the selection of materials);
does not require space to open;
when open, does not take up useful space;
involves finishing with different facing materials, allows decoration with any inserts and panels;
can be insulated with special polystyrene foam panels;
can be opened manually or equipped with automatic system opening;
Suitable for installation in single and double garages.

The disadvantages of up-and-over gates are mainly associated with some limitations and features of the design itself, which are expressed in the following:

it can only be installed in rectangular openings;
when open, reduces the height of the opening (approximately 20 cm).
the one-piece door leaf makes it impossible to repair individual sections - in case of damage, a complete replacement of the entire element is required;
the gates are equipped with a spring mechanism, which is designed for a certain mass of the structure, therefore, when performing thermal insulation, the weight of the insulation should be taken into account: if the mass of the insulated gate increases significantly, it is necessary to install counterweights;
There may be gaps between the canvas and the frame, which can be eliminated using rubber seal, but such gates are recommended to be installed only in unheated garages.

Gate operating principle

The design of up-and-over (panel) gates is quite different simple device. It consists of frames, canvas and guides along which it rotates around its axis, moving from vertical to horizontal position and back.

The basis is a steel frame, which is fixed in the garage opening or behind it and is the leading part when the gate moves. For its manufacture, rectangular pipes are usually used.

When the gate is opened, a roller mechanism and lifting arms are activated, with the help of which the gate leaf moves along the guides and is then fixed under the garage ceiling. The lower part of the canvas rises up and forms a canopy over the garage opening. The compensation springs stretch when the gate is closed, but remain free when the gate is open.

Gate in open position

The opening mechanism for this type of gate is of two types:

Articulated lever- a simple, reliable and most popular mechanism that ensures simple movement of the shield and prevents it from blocking. Mandatory requirements: careful adjustment of spring tension and high precision installation of guides.
On counterweights– this mechanism consists of a cable attached to the lower corners of the frame and passing through the block, as well as a counterweight mounted on the opposite edge of the winch. This mechanism is recommended for use for massive gates with a lot of weight.

Control of panel garage doors can be manual or using an electric drive (usually with a remote control).

Selection of materials

Materials for up-and-over garage doors should be selected depending on the mechanism and leaf used. For the simplest gates that you can make with your own hands, you will need (all measurements are given in centimeters):

wooden blocks: for a box with a section of 12x8, for a ceiling - 10x10;
metal pins;
corner: for frame - 3.5x3.5x0.4, for rails - 4x4x0.4 cm;
channel bracket 8x4.3x0.5;
spring with internal diameter 3 cm;
metal rod with a cross-section of 0.8 (for the tension regulator);
electric drive (if gate automation is provided);
canvas.

As a canvas, you can use a board made of boards covered with metal, a solid canvas or a sandwich panel.

For self-made gates the best option is a board panel covered with galvanized iron and coated with a protective compound. For thermal insulation, you can use polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam or insulation in mats, and to improve appearance– veneer finished gates wood panels or plastic.

Self-assembled gates

Necessary tools for work

For self-installation up-and-over garage doors will require a traditional set of tools:

level;
hammer;
pencil;
drill;
spanners;
screwdrivers;
drill;
Bulgarian;
welding machine.

The first step in installing a gate is designing it. For this it is necessary measure the opening and draw up a sketch yourself or select a ready-made drawing.

Drawing of up and over gates

After this, materials and tools are purchased and the actual work of making the gate begins:

A box is assembled from bars, which are fastened together with squares or metal plates.
The box is fixed in the opening and secured with pins, the bottom is buried approximately 2 cm into the floor screed.
The gate leaf is assembled: the frame is covered with a shield and closed sheet metal.
A mechanism support is made from a corner, two holes with a diameter of 1 cm are drilled in one shelf for fixing to the longitudinal posts, and three more are drilled in the other for fastening the spring bracket. To attach the channel bracket, used as a support for the spring, 3 holes are drilled in one of the shelves.
The bracket and the spring are connected using an adjustment plate made from a strip of iron. The outer coils of the spring are used as hooks, and a tension regulator made of a rod is attached to the bottom. On one side a ring is formed, on the other a thread is cut.
The hinge unit at the bottom is made from a corner with a hole (0.85 cm) and welded to the frame between the lower rib and the middle of the hole for the lifting mechanism lever at a distance of 12 cm.
A plate with a hole for the tension regulator is welded to the end of the lever.
Rails are made for the movement of the shield: 2 corners are made, and the edges of their shelves are welded in such a way that inner space between their tops was 5 cm.
One end of such a rail is welded to a plate with holes. There should be a gap of 8 cm between the center line of the guide and the lower edge of the crossbar. The channel pieces are welded to the other edges of the rails at a distance of 14-15 cm. The channel is attached to the ceiling beam with a bolt.

After assembly is completed, the structure is painted to give it an aesthetic appearance, hard to reach places It is recommended to paint before assembly.

It is recommended to use welding to assemble parts, which will reduce the need for fastening and drilling holes;
the height of the gate opening should not be less than 2.2 meters, and the distance from the top of the opening to the ceiling should be 0.35-0.5 meters;
if the rise is low, the drum should be located at the rear;
there should be a groove in the lower profile of the canvas into which the seal is installed;
the weight of the canvas is very important parameter, its optimal value is 100 kg;
as a drive you can install a reversible self-locking winch (220 V, 350 W, traction force - 125 kg);
To install automation, you can use a car alarm.

For ease of use, the canvas can be made with inserts made of translucent materials, which will increase the amount of light, and also be equipped with locking devices and security systems that protect against pinching or prevent break-ins.

Homemade up-and-over gates are the most economical opportunity to close a garage opening without limiting the functionality, ease of use and originality of their design.

On video - detailed story O self-production up-and-over garage doors:

The convenience of a garage for a car is not last resort will be determined entrance gate, which should ensure the safety of the car and close easily and securely. Nowadays, you can order or make several options yourself automatic designs. Next we will look at how to make a garage door with your own hands.

Peculiarities

Unlike swing structures Having in most cases 2 leaves that swing outward, overhead gates have sections or rollers that rise upward. Their operating principle is different depending on the type - sectional, rotary or roller shutter. The design itself, including various elements: box, guides, rollers, lifting mechanism, much more complex than simple ones swing gates.

But the installation costs and materials fully compensate for the reliability and convenience of regular use of such a garage.

Having a ready-made garage with a rectangular entrance opening, you can easily build overhead gates with your own hands. For installation you will need standard set construction tools, materials for sashes, guides and casings. It is enough to arm yourself with patience and use a little ingenuity to literally build a reliable and convenient design of such garage doors in just a few days, without rushing.

Advantages and disadvantages

Before you decide to build a garage door with lifting mechanism, you need to weigh all their pros and cons.

Experienced craftsmen note the following advantages of such systems:

Saving free space. Unlike swing gates, which require external space for open leaves, overhead gates use space inside the ceiling.
They are much more convenient to use, especially if they are equipped with a lifting mechanism, then you do not need to make any physical effort at all.
Lift-and-swivel and sectional doors reliably protect the garage from burglary.

For such structures you can use different types finishing and decor.
Lift gates Can be used for single and double garages.
The doors open and close silently.

It is worth paying attention to the disadvantages of overhead gates:

The main disadvantage is the complexity of the design and installation. If you order the installation entirely to specialists, it will be expensive. If you do the installation yourself, then you need to carefully study the drawings, fasten all the elements carefully, level, because even a small error can lead to the entire mechanism being inoperative.

A fully open gate takes up free space at the top of the opening and inside the garage under the ceiling.
The mechanisms of such gates are designed for a certain load, so the doors and body cannot be overloaded, for example, when insulating.
Overhead gates can only be installed in rectangular garage openings.

If the garage owner has taken into account all these features, then you can begin installation. But first you need to decide on the type of overhead garage door.

Kinds

The most common are 3 types of homemade lifting structures:

lift-and-turn or panel:
sectional;
roller shutters

Up-and-over garage doors are the most secure against burglary due to the one-piece design of the door. When opened, it rises up, turning 90 degrees and taking a horizontal position. Their mechanism can be lever-hinged or counterbalanced. The first view on the levers represents the most simple designs, which ensure smooth and unimpeded movement of the sash to a horizontal position.

Counterweight gates are most suitable for heavy doors.

Lifting and turning structures consist of a frame (usually metal), guides along which the frame moves, a spring mechanism or a counterweight with a winch. Lifting can be done manually using a handle at the bottom of the housing. This is done easily thanks to the stretched springs of the built-in mechanism. You can improve this mechanism by connecting an electric drive, then raising and lowering the sash occurs simply by pressing a button.

The leaf of an overhead sectional door is assembled from several panels up to 50 cm wide, which are connected to each other by hinges. When it is raised, these panels (they are also called lamellas) move along guides on rollers. The movement is provided by a spring mechanism, drums and cables. This design is reminiscent of sandwich panels used in construction.

The mechanism of roller gates for garages is the same as that of roller shutters in shopping centers. Their folding slats are narrower than those of lifting-sectional types; when opened, they rise and twist into a special box of small width. Therefore, this type has a clear advantage - saving space inside the garage. There is no need to install long guides under the ceiling.

The materials for the frame, frame and guide rails of overhead gates are usually metal, but stainless steel is the best choice. The box can be made of thick wooden beams or metal corners. Solid doors of a similar design can be made in the form of a sheet of boards in a metal frame. They are often sheathed on the outside with sheet metal.

To keep the garage warm in winter, you can sew it inside heat insulating materials: sheet foam or mineral wool.

The box is coated with an anti-corrosion primer, then painted in 2 layers of alkyd or waterproof enamel. It is best to cover the folding shield with galvanized steel or aluminum.

The slats on sectional or roller doors are usually also made of galvanized steel or aluminum; inside the sheets you can place thermal insulation material. The surface of such panels can be of any color - to the taste of the owner. Moving structural elements - rollers, couplings, are made of plastic or light metals, guides are made of of stainless steel or other materials not subject to corrosion.

Automation of doors that can be opened using an electric drive will greatly simplify the use of the garage. Many drivers don’t want to bother with heavy doors, especially when it’s freezing or pouring rain outside. For any design and mechanism, it is possible to select an electric motor of appropriate power that will use current from the household electrical network.

There are several types of automatic overhead gates.

The most common schemes that are easy to do yourself are:

mechanisms installed on the door leaf;
fixed on guides;
mounted on side posts.

It is possible to order finished design, the kit of which will already include an automatic drive for lifting, such, for example, are equipped with many roller shutters with galvanized steel slats.

In this case, after purchasing, you only need to correctly install them on the garage opening and connect the electric drive to the network.

Manufacturing

To make simple overhead garage doors, you can use ready-made sketches and calculations, only slightly adjusting their dimensions to suit your room. There are many example solutions for country house containing drawings and a detailed report including necessary tools and materials.

Before you make the structure itself with a movable mechanism, you need to make sure that the opening, adjacent walls and ceiling are able to support its weight. To do this, you need to choose strong and dense floors without voids and reliable fastening systems. And the room itself must be protected from moisture penetration and other natural factors that can damage the operation of the gate.

Having chosen the appropriate type and approximate project for future sliding gates, we make a drawing with exact dimensions, based on them we calculate the amount of materials needed.

For a strong and durable overhead garage door frame, the best choice is metal profiles 40x20 mm in size and at least 2 mm thick. Transverse and horizontal fastenings for construction can be made from 20x20 mm profiles. Gate guides are most often made from channels up to 20 cm wide; depending on it, the size of the rollers is chosen.

The box of the lever-hinged mechanism can be made from a metal angle or beam. Parts of the required length are cut out according to the dimensions in the created drawing.

The rollers themselves, springs and the entire lever-joint mechanism are usually purchased ready-made. They are selected according to the dimensions of the guides. The remaining parts can be easily made yourself using a welding machine and a grinder.

To manufacture the gate and install it in the garage opening, you will need the following tools:

welding machine;
grinder with cutting circles for metal;
drill with drill bits required diameter;
screwdriver;
hammer;
level;
tape measure, pencil.

photos

For fastening, you need to use metal anchors or dowel screws suitable for the given weight of the structure. If you plan to use anchor bolts to fasten a metal corner, then you need to prepare a set of appropriate wrenches.

Installation

Before you install the lifting gate system yourself, you need to make sure that the opening on which they are installed has a perfectly flat surface: strictly vertical and horizontal levels, right angles. The supporting frame is the most important strength element of such gates, so you need to be as careful as possible in its manufacture.

If the box is selected metal corner, then the width of its shelf should be 1.5 times the thickness of the sash. After all the parts are measured and cut, they are attached to the garage opening with anchor bolts and tightened securely. To make a box, you can choose wooden beams with cross-sectional dimensions of 100x50 mm, which must be secured with 100 mm self-tapping screws.

The one-piece frame of the folding gate must be assembled on a flat, horizontal surface. After the metal profiles are cut to the required length, they are checked with a square and lightly tacked by welding. Next, check the right angles and dimensions again, including diagonally, attach the corner gussets and transverse stiffeners, then completely weld the structure.

After welding the frame, it must be cleaned with a grinder at the joints to remove burrs. Then it is coated with an anti-corrosion solution and painted. Boards with thermal insulation are sewn inside the metal profiles, and the outside is covered with sheet metal. Brackets with movable rollers are attached to the upper corners of the frame.

After this, guides for the future sash are attached to the ceiling. They should also be mounted as level as possible, double-checking the horizontal level, parallelism and perpendicularity to the doorway. Then the sash is temporarily installed in the opening in order to mark the location where the lever-spring mechanism is attached.

After the operation of the gate and the unhindered movement of the leaf along the guides have been checked, it is removed, the springs are installed, and they are adjusted. Lastly, a rubber seal is attached to the frame around the perimeter to seal the seams and softly close, install door lock and opening handle.

With careful and correct installation, and reliable protection from moisture gates similar design can last for more than a dozen years. And their repair can be limited only to lubrication of the moving parts of the mechanism, lever system, support rollers and replacement of the rubber seal. For prevention, lubrication can be carried out every season, and the outer rubber gasket can be lubricated with silicone before the onset of cold weather to protect against freezing.

For internal thermal insulation such gates can be used various materials, which are also used for wall insulation: mineral wool, polystyrene foam or expanded polystyrene. The last two are more effective, since they do not shrink over time, but they can be fire hazardous, so it is better to choose non-flammable types.

If there is not enough space in front of the garage, then overhead garage doors will come to the rescue. The design allows the doors to be lifted to the ceiling. Products from manufacturers are provided in a wide range, but, as a rule, they are very expensive. But if you have a little experience working with a welding machine and power tools, then you can make overhead gates with your own hands.

Main types

Before you begin installation, you need to understand what is the difference between lifting structures and other types, what advantages or disadvantages they have. All this will help you choose the most suitable option. At the very beginning, you need to decide on the device.

Create an overhead gate for your garage

Gates can be divided into several types:

Lifting sectional - this option is presented in the form of a canvas divided into several parts, which are interconnected by a rigid structure. As they rise, they begin to bend and gather, and when lowered, on the contrary, they straighten and align.
Rotary - this design, unlike previous type incapable of deformation. The gate is opened by lifting the gate along a curved path, with the upper part of the gate going slightly deeper into the garage, and the rest of the gate rising up, but from the street side.

Both types are installed almost identically. Having drawings of lifting gates, the necessary tools and materials, you can make the structure yourself.

In this video we will look at overhead garage doors:

Advantages and disadvantages

Such homemade gate has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include:

They don't take up much space. The sash rises up to the ceiling itself, and usually this space is empty, which allows you to save the area near the garage and use it for other purposes.
Reliability. Since the structure is made of solid fabric, it is almost impossible to break open the garage doors.
If desired, you can insulate the doors; polystyrene foam is mainly used for this.
You can equip the gate with an automatic lift, which means you can open and close the garage without having to get out of the car.
Allows installation on garage openings of any size.

The external finishing of such gates can be done in any way you like. Therefore, they will look beautiful and harmonious with residential building, and with the site as a whole. But this design also has a number of disadvantages, namely:

If one of the parts breaks, the canvas will have to be replaced completely; partial repairs are not provided.
Gates are installed exclusively in rectangular openings.
It is quite difficult to assemble a garage door with your own hands; installation requires certain knowledge and skills.
If you plan to insulate the sashes, then you need to take care of this in advance, since an extra layer can increase the load on the mechanism, which will lead to frequent failures and breakdowns.

It should also be noted that such structures are very heavy, so the frame must be very strong and durable. Owners of tall cars or minibuses should take into account that raised doors make the ceiling 20-30 cm lower.

Preparatory work

Before you begin installation, you need to prepare by leveling the walls and ceilings of the garage so that the guides are level, without any slope. All construction and finishing work must be carried out before assembling the structure. The fact is that dust getting on the rollers disrupts the operation of the entire mechanism.

Since the frame goes 2-5 cm inside the garage, then flooring It is more advisable to lay it after the gate is completely installed. The doorway is prepared in advance, calculations are made, a drawing and work plan are drawn up.

The amount of materials depends on the chosen design: whether there will be a lifting gate with a door, how many leaves the structure will have, and also what size the garage opening is.

But for a simple standard option you will need:

wooden beams for the box (120×80 mm);
metal pins;
steel corners for the frame (35×35×4 mm);
corners for rails (40×40×4);
spring (30 mm in diameter);
channel (80×45);
metal rods with a diameter of 8 mm;
canvas for sashes.

This list may change and be supplemented, since any change in the scheme, even minimal, will require additional details. In addition to the basic material, you will also need tools. Therefore, you must first prepare grinder, electric drill, metal and wood drills, welding machine and level.
Construction stages
The production of folding gates takes place in several stages. First, the frame is assembled, the rollers are installed, then they begin to create the sashes and attach additional elements. And at the final stage, the structure is assembled into a whole, and, if desired, an automatic lifting mechanism is installed.
Frame assembly
The structure on which the overhead gates will be attached is the frame. The entire main load falls on her, therefore This is the part that is initially assembled. To make it you will need wooden beams, although for greater reliability you can use metal profiles, it all depends on financial capabilities. The described option is simpler and more economical.
A box is assembled from wooden blocks; to connect the elements, you will need steel corners or special plates. When installing the frame, it is necessary to take into account that its lower part must be recessed into the ground by about 2-5 cm. After the box is prepared, it must be checked; for this, the structure is installed in the opening and the vertical and horizontal position is checked using a level. If everything is satisfactory, then the frame is secured metal pins(anchors), with 1 pin required for each linear meter. Having completed the assembly, proceed to installing horizontal guides on the ceiling.

Keep up with the times with automatic gates in your garage
Now you need to secure the brackets for the rollers. In order for the sashes to roll freely and not cling, you need to place them a little deeper than the lower ones. Be sure to measure the position with a level; incorrect installation will not allow the gate to rise. After this, the structure is secured with bolts, and clamps are installed at the edges of the rails that will block the movement of the rollers.
Preparing the sashes
The canvas that will act as the doors can be made from almost any material. But when choosing, it is worth considering that the initial function of the gate is still protection, so it is worth purchasing material that is resistant to climatic influences. Most often for such structures they use metal sheets on wooden frame, which are fixed on the inside, then there is a layer of insulation, and on the street side the gates are covered with plastic.
Many owners of such garages make a gate for convenience; in this case, the gate does not need to be constantly opened, which means it will last longer. And some even have a window, install these additional elements not difficult. When the frame is completely assembled, it must be installed on the guides and the mechanism must be checked for functionality.
Additional items
Installation work completed by installing construction fittings: inserting a lock or latch, attaching handles or other auxiliary elements. If you do not plan to install an automatic lift, then handles are extremely necessary, since clinging to dirty edges is not very convenient. It is best to place them at the bottom of the shield.
If there is a built-in gate, then it is best to secure the garage with an internal latch. You can make such locks yourself, just attach special arms to the canvas and frame. After the structure is completely assembled, proceed to finishing works. Gates are processed protective compounds, paint and fix the finishing material.
Automation system
You can install an automatic lift yourself; naturally, the price of a homemade gate will become more expensive, but the level of comfort will increase significantly. You don't have to open and close your garage door manually every time. But to install such a device, you need to choose the right drive so that it matches the garage lifting mechanism.
The installation of each device is individual, but all step-by-step actions are described in the instructions, so there should not be any particular difficulties during operation. Performance will also not differ from factory designs. All actions are carried out with a special remote control control, which saves a lot of time.

A well-equipped garage is the key to long-term car storage. However, not all car enthusiasts know that a decisive role in this is played by garage doors, which should be not only convenient, but also practical.

From this point of view, overhead garage doors stand out among all types of structures.

This product is a one-piece gate leaf, which opens thanks to a lifting mechanism, sliding under the ceiling. Its main advantage is space saving and ease of use. Lift gates are really convenient.

Now you can forget about the long and laborious opening of locks and swing gates. Thanks to the lifting light mechanism With just one hand, you can open your garage door in seconds.

Another important advantage of this product is its reliability. Unlike sectional structures, a solid door leaf has greater tightness and thermal insulation, and if the garage is equipped with good seals along the contour of the opening, such gates will become simply irreplaceable.

In addition to all these advantages, the design of the gate is so simple that it can be installed in a garage by a person who does not have deep knowledge of the construction business.

Distinctive features of the design

Lifting garage doors are distinguished by the fact that for their operation, reinforced lifting drives are installed, which can be of several types. Today the following types of mechanisms are distinguished:

Articulating lever device.

It is capable of opening a solid sash thanks to built-in rollers, springs and levers. This type of equipment is the most common and the vast majority of car owners equip their garages with gates based on it. The principle of operation is extremely simple.

Along the edges of the opening, corner guides are installed, which are fixed under the ceiling. The door leaf is driven by springs and levers on its lower part on the sides.

When opening such overhead garage doors, the door moves smoothly on rollers that are fixed in its upper corners.

When installing such a system with your own hands, you should pay attention Special attention precision adjustment of guides horizontally and vertically. Also keep in mind that the space from the opening to the ceiling should be at least 30 cm, and to the walls - about 45 cm.

In this case, the automatic drive is installed on the ceiling and opens the door using a cable, one side of which is attached to the sash, and the other to the drive itself. This cable is located in a metal profile, which is also suspended on brackets to the ceiling.

Counterweight system. This type of mechanism is used mainly for industrial purposes, for opening massive gates. Often large garages for buses are equipped with such gates.

The principle of operation is that garage doors are opened with special weight bars, which weigh slightly more than the weight of the door itself.

So, one edge of the winch is attached to the bottom of the door leaf, which is passed through a mechanical block on the ceiling and a counterweight is attached to its second end.

When the gate opens, the counterweight lowers and when closed, it rises. For greater clarity, the principle of operation of the system is shown in the diagram below.

Hydraulic drives. Such mechanisms are the most practical and easy to operate, however, they are the most expensive. It will be very difficult to build such a system with your own hands, but drive kits can be purchased in specialized stores.

Everything is simple here: two powerful drives are attached to the two extreme sides of the inner side of the door leaf, and the hydraulic tubes with which they are equipped are mounted in the inner part of the opening. An important factor for this device is proper care. It is necessary to constantly monitor the smooth operation of the drives.

If you find the slightest difficulty, you should lubricate the hydraulic tubes with special oil. Garages with such a mechanism are reliably protected, since the drives use technologies that virtually eliminate the possibility of hacking.

Having decided on the lifting mechanisms that are suitable for you, you should think about what material the garage door can be made from. It is better, of course, to opt for a metal product.

Metal gates will last longer, unlike wood products, which are less protected from environmental factors and are at risk of fungus.

However, in this case it should be understood that the weight metal gates must be commensurate with the power of the lifting system. The ideal option in this regard are garage lifting structures from corrugated sheets.

We make the gate ourselves

When thinking about which gate is best for your garage, you can go one of two ways. You can build lift gates entirely with your own hands or purchase ready set and install it in the garage yourself. If you choose the first option, you will need to consider some important points.

To begin with, you will need to carefully conduct necessary measurements, decide on design parameters and draw up a drawing. It is best to make a gate with a hinged lever mechanism, the diagram of which is presented below.

When making a drawing, you can use ready-made drawings; the most understandable and complete is shown below.

Based on this drawing, all you have to do is plug in the numbers of your measurements and get to work. For construction you will need the following materials and tools:

building level and tape measure;
metal sheets for forming the sash;
welding machine;
electric hacksaw for metal;
dowels and brackets;
electric drill;
metal profiles and corners.

Having prepared all these elements, begin work by making a frame for the sash. To do this, take profiles of the required length and place them on a flat surface so that you get a square or rectangle corresponding to the size of the opening. Then weld the corners.

Now take the metal sheets and attach them to finished frame along the entire perimeter, weld all points of contact.

When the sash is ready, you will need to make guides. Take metal profiles of the required size and connect them with a corner, welding the joints. You will end up with two corner guides that need to be secured in the opening using dowels or welding if a metal frame is installed. The upper ends of the guides will need to be connected to each other by welding a horizontal beam.

Now weld the brackets with rollers to the upper corners of the finished sash. Insert the rollers into the guides.

Attach spring-lever mechanisms to both edges of the canvas.

Install the lever bracket in the middle of the top of the sash.

Finally, install the drive and the central profile on the ceiling and pass a cable through it, one end of which is secured to the drive itself, and the other side to the lever bracket.

Now your overhead garage door is completely ready. All that remains is to check the functionality of the entire system.

As you can see, building such a garage door with your own hands is not so difficult. The main thing is to take accurate measurements and be careful when installing the guides. Taking these nuances into account, you will equip your garage with a reliable product that will last a long time.