Garage door automation can be very straightforward if your garage door was installed correctly. We will discuss further details in this article so you can work out whether your garage door can be automated.
Is an onsite inspection required?
An onsite inspection is not required for garage door automation. Your garage door just need to meet the following basic requirements:
Garage Door is in good working condition
The age of the garage door is not the only indication whether it can be automated. Even if you have a 30 years old garage door, as long as it has been maintained well and it’s in good working condition, it can be automated. So how do you tell if it’s in good condition? Simply open and close manually and see whether it’s relatively easy to operate? As long as it’s opening & closing well then we should be able to automate it. We have had cases where we come out just to find cables have fallen off, springs are broken or the door will not even open or close! Please do a thorough check of your garage door before considering automation.
There is a standard power point within your garage
For the motor to work, it will need to be plugged into a standard power point at all times. Please check to see if there is a standard power point within your garage. For Roller Doors, the power point should ideally be close to the side of the door. For Sectional Doors or Tilt Doors, a power point up in the ceiling, in the middle of the garage about 2 – 3 metre away from the garage opening. Keep in mind, the motor itself does have a 1 meter cord.If your power point is further away, you can always temporarily run an extension lead to the motor. Please prepare a suitable extension lead.
There is sufficient headroom (top clearance) or sideroom (side clearance)
Many garage doors do not have enough clearance for them to be automated. When you ask for a quote we will definitely ask “How much sideroom / headroom does your garage door have?”. For Roller Doors, we need sideroom of at least 200mm from the door bracket to the sidewall. For Sectional Doors & Tilt door, we need headroom of at least 300mm. Please ask our Sales Rep for further assistance on checking garage door clearance.
The garage door is as big as you said it is!
Garage doors come in many different sizes. A Single garage door does NOT mean 1 door, a Double does not mean 2 doors. A single garage door means it’s a small door which fits ONE (single) car. A standard single is around 2.1 meter high by 2.5 meter wide. A double garage door means it’s a big door which fits TWO (double) cars. A standard double is around 2.4 meter high by 5 meter wide. When asked, please give us your best size estimation. We do not expect you to be exact, but if you state the garage door is a single and it turns out to be 4 meter wide, understandably there will be an additional installation cost.
There is an alternative access into your garage
Beside the garage door itself, do you have another way to get into the garage like a side door or back door? If an alternative access is not available, we recommend installing an external key release (additional cost). Once your garage door is automated, if there is a power failure or any problem with the motor, you will need to be able to get into your garage using an alternative access to pull the manual override cord (releasing the door back to manual mode). For people who live in an apartment, unit or have a detached garage with no other way to get in, we will recommend installing an external key release. This is an extra cost (from $90), however it is optional and you can decide on the day.
If you are unsure about anything else or have any other questions regarding garage door automation requirements, please do not hesitate to ask our friendly Sale Rep on (02) 9723 0953, we’ll be more than happy to help!
