I’ve got a steel overhead garage door that has some dents in it w/ a 1/4 hp Stanley lift on it. I’ve been thinking of puting 3/8 ruff sawn fir plywood skin on it to make it look purty again. My question is ..is the 1/4 hp lift big enough to pick up the extra weight?
Wayne
Replies
I'd check with Stanley to see what kind of door weight it's rated for. Also, don't forget to see if the springs will handle the additional weight as they are rated to handle doors within a weight range.
It's really the springs that carry the weight. That said, 1/4hp openers are very weak to begin with especially if it's a doublewide. I've come to think the only reason they even offer a 1/4hp model is for the low price point.
1/2hp or bigger are only a few bucks more and are quieter, stronger, and faster.
You should readjust the springs to rebalance the door. Then the opener should be able to handle it. But the existing springs may not be sufficient.
You can get a rough idea whether the springs are up to the task by tying an appropriately sized weight (like several concrete blocks) to the door handle (with the door balanced halfway up) and then see if the springs can be adjusted to balance again. (Of course, observe all appropriate precautions when adjusting the springs -- too numerous to list here. Move the door all the way up when adjusting extension springs, all the way down for torsion springs, then attach the weight and check for balance.)
If the springs aren't up to the task then it's likely that the tracks and rollers aren't either.
I guess I should have noted it is a 9 by 7 so I figure 2+ 4 by 8 sheets. And I thought about adjusting the springs but wasn't sure.
Wayne
You should always balance a door before attaching the opener. GD openers are not intended to lift the weight of the door.
Conscience is the still, small voice which tells a candidate that what he is doing is likely to lose him votes. --Anonymous
With regard to the door weight, it's all about the springs. You'll need to replace the existing ones. With NO elec. your door should be able to be lifted with 28-32 lbs of pull/torque. And replace the 1/4 HP motor it's no good.