Anyone here know about roll-up doors?

[speeder]

Apparently, the spring broke on my big roll-up door. It was fine last night when I closed it but this morning it weighs several hundred pounds to lift. I called the first place listed online and they came right over and gave me an estimate for $4500 to fix the spring.

I of course responded, “ouch ouch, that’s my ass hole!”

Not really. I thanked him for his time and sent him on his way. Some of these guys must moonlight as commercial burglars.

Anyone here know these doors? Is this DIY-able with less than Tim Hancock level skilz? TIA.

[pwd72s]

Wow, far more than I was charged by a local garage door company..senior memory, but think it was around $600 to replace one spring on a 2 springs door. Double car garage. I'd definitely do some shopping around. I know you're in LA & I'm in small town Orygun, but....

Once fixed, a tip gleaned from the repair guy...get a spray can of white lithium grease, spray a ine of it the length of the spring once a year or so.

Also, watching the replacement job, seemed to me the tech had special tools to both lock the spring in place as he wound in the tension, and to tension the spring....a science to the job.

[stevej37]

I needed a door for my shed with a four foot opening. I bought a 4 ft roll-up door that came complete with tracks.
Installed it myself. Lifting the rolled-up door to the top of the opening was the hardest part...but with a step ladder, I got it positioned and attached.
I've had it for over 20 years and it's worked perfect. Haven't greased it yet. I think I paid around $450 for it.

[Skytrooper]

I have installed and serviced hundreds of these doors. They are a ***** to change the spring. They are a lot of labor and manhours. The biggest issue is if the company that manufactured the door is still in business. Then at least you can find out what spring is inside, prior to removing the spring side end plate on the barrel. Some spring plates are welded on, some use split roll pins. At lift is necessary due to the weight of the barrel assembly. The slats will remain in the guides (tracks) during the repair. The door will be totally useless during the repair.
This is a very time consuming job. Do not expect to use the door for at least a day, possibly longer. If they cannot find the spring information, then the door will be unusable for however long it takes to Open the barrel and get the spring information….and then wait for the spring to get shipped. Rolling steel doors are no joke. $4500 for the job ? I doubt you can find it repaired properly for less. Good luck !

[Skytrooper]

BTW folks, this is a commercial rolling steel doors are. This is not your residential sectional door with simple springs. Nor is it a coil away (used on most mini storage) that can be carried up a ladder. My guess is that is about 10x12 or 14 feet. That barrel assembly with the internal spring will weigh around 250lbs. Sorry to bust your bubble folks. These are not forYou tube DIYers.

[speeder]

Thanks, Matt! Yes, this is definitely not like a home garage door. It weighs hundreds of pounds and could kill someone under it if it free-fell. I just wasn’t ready for that price…wanted to see if it was fair or if he was behind a couple of boat payments.

[speeder]

The guy quoted $4500 to fix it or $7k for a new one. Pretty expensive haircut out of the clear blue sky but there you have it.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Skytrooper

BTW folks, this is a commercial rolling steel doors are. This is not your residential sectional door with simple springs. Nor is it a coil away (used on most mini storage) that can be carried up a ladder. My guess is that is about 10x12 or 14 feet. That barrel assembly with the internal spring will weigh around 250lbs. Sorry to bust your bubble folks. These are not forYou tube DIYers.

Gotcha! Thanks. So, compared to what Denis ha, the springs in my garage door are ball point pen springs?

[Skytrooper]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Gotcha! Thanks. So, compared to what Denis ha, the springs in my garage door are ball point pen springs?

Yup !

[911 Rod]

Do you even need an industrial door? Replace it with ....?

[Skytrooper]

Originally Posted by 911 Rod

Do you even need an industrial door? Replace it with ....?

Of course, there are always options. Rolling steel is preferable for higher security. They also last much longer in a commercial application.
Standard sectional garage doors are an option, but there is more information required. Some things that need to be taken into consideration are:
A. If going to sectional door you will need to back hang the rear of the horizontal tracks. Is this feasible? They do have high lifted doors that follow the wall higher for more clearance, and full vertical lift doors which follow the wall entirely vertically.
B. The mounting wall height, and is it clear of obstructions.
C. Ceiling joist height. The longer the back hang drop, the more wiggly the horizontal tracks become.
D. Clearance. Is there machinery or overhead cranes and rails that need to be cleared.
E. Forklifts and forklift drivers typically can ruin your day very easily with sectional door tracks.
F. A commercial sectional door will cost darn near the same as the repair cost of the better rolling steel door.

But hey, this is all the OP’s decision. I just offered my opinion of his question.

[speeder]

We like this door when it’s working. It sort of came with the building, which used to be a garment factory. It goes up as far as you want it to and stays there, we also have a rolling metal door that closes outside of it for additional security.

There is a problem with commercial burglary crews in this area but they are generally looking for cannabis grow facilities, which we are not. One group actually got in the door and quickly turned around when they saw what was inside. We have them on camera walking right past a couple of $6k carbon fiber bicycles and some expensive tools still in the box without giving them a glance….they turned around and split, (with the alarm going off), before bothering with the GT3 with the keys in the ignition and other tasty machinery. They don’t give a crap.

[Scott Douglas]

I wonder if there's anyway to set up a gear reduction lifting mechanism such that a spring wouldn't be required to help lift it.
It'd need a positive mechanical lock out when up so it wouldn't kill some one if it came down, but it wouldn't take much to come up with something to do that.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

I wonder if there's anyway to set up a gear reduction lifting mechanism such that a spring wouldn't be required to help lift it.
It'd need a positive mechanical lock out when up so it wouldn't kill some one if it came down, but it wouldn't take much to come up with something to do that.

It already has gear reduction via sprockets and I could almost hang my ~190 lb. self on the chain when it was half way up.

Got it fixed today, (spring replaced), by the second guy who came by for $3350. This is not a DIY project!!

[Skytrooper]

I have done that job many times ! Not DIY ! I was a paid professional.

Great price BTW !

[herr_oberst]

I've never been able to stand on the top of tall ladders. Sketchy balance, active imagination.

[IROC]

Public Service Announcement: We had a close call here at work where a roll up door failed and came crashing down. Probably would have seriously injured or killed anyone under it. One rule that I was not aware of until that event is to never walk under a rollup door. Not allowed. In the pictures above, I don't see a personnel door? Is the intent for people to walk in and out under that door?

[David]

Originally Posted by IROC

Public Service Announcement: We had a close call here at work where a roll up door failed and came crashing down. Probably would have seriously injured or killed anyone under it. One rule that I was not aware of until that event is to never walk under a rollup door. Not allowed. In the pictures above, I don't see a personnel door? Is the intent for people to walk in and out under that door?

+1 !!!! We have at least a dozen roll up doors at work and you are not supposed to walk through them.

And yes, it's stupid expensive to get them worked on. We had our large high bay fast roll up door fixed last year: $53K Not replaced, just fixed.

[stevej37]

Here's my 4.5 X 7 foot roll-up door. Fit my doorway perfect and didn't take the space that a reg door would have. Sorry about the rafter in the pic. The shed is loaded and I couldn't back up further.
I installed it by myself with a couple step ladders to get the roll up there.

[speeder]

That's a nifty little shed door but those don't even require a spring or counter weight because they weigh nothing.