Residential and commercial garage doors are engineered and tested as complete systems by their manufacturers to operate properly and safely. These garage door systems are not designed to function as structural wall or ceiling components and are not designed to accommodate additional weight that may be added afterward. DASMA strongly advises against untrained individuals attaching materials to or hanging materials from any part of a garage door assembly without explicit instructions from the original manufacturer of the door system.
All door components, including but not limited to sections, struts, track, hinges, rollers, cables, cable drums, bottom brackets, torsion spring shafts, rear track hangers, and fasteners, are designed to work together as an assembly under defined conditions such as door weight, wind load, and cycle life. The safety of a garage door is directly attributed to the design of these components working together without any other added material. Attaching weight that has not been considered during design to any component of a garage door can result in one or more of the following consequences:
- Interference with proper operation. For example, door springs are designed to accommodate the original intended weight of the door. If additional weight is added to the door sections after the original door installation, the door could become unbalanced such that operation is not smooth, possibly even resulting in damaged or broken springs. Also, the function of any opener on the door could be adversely affected such that a motor could become overworked or cease functioning.
- Potentially dangerous failure. For example, adding weight, including hanging large objects, to any part of the door or track can obstruct the pathway of the door and can cause the horizontal track to twist, buckle, or deform. This can potentially allow the door to fall out of the horizontal track. Because doors are large, heavy moving objects that can weigh anywhere from 90 pounds to over 500 pounds, a door falling out of its tracks is dangerous to persons, and hazardous to property, under the door, or in the area. Therefore, aftermarket accessories designed to allow consumers to hang objects from garage door tracks should be avoided.
- Voiding of the door warranty. Garage door manufacturers typically include certain exclusions and limitations in their warranties, particularly regarding alterations to a door.
If an individual is interested in obtaining information about a specific garage door, it is always best to contact the manufacturer.
