On 1/6/2021 11:58 AM, Radey Shouman wrote:
Frank Krygowski writes:

On 1/5/2021 1:00 PM, Radey Shouman wrote:
Frank Krygowski writes:

On 1/5/2021 11:54 AM, jbeattie wrote:

I've never had a heated garage. I don't think that is even a thing
here in the U.S. except maybe in a condo building or some
super-modern construction.

Heated garages are quite common here, where winter actually gets
cold. Not that I have one, mind you. Our place predates that fashion.

Newer construction here often has the garage integrated into the house,
in which case it's simpler to heat it. Heavy, insulated garage doors
are then needed, so I guess heated garages are in part enabled by
electric door openers.

The weight of a garage door shouldn't matter if its lifting springs
are properly chosen and adjusted. Those springs should balance the
weight of the door no matter how heavy it is.

I suppose that's approximately true, but adjustment gets fiddly if you
need to balance to within a small fraction of the weight, and the
springs get bigger and scarier. I have replaced the springs on my
manually operated garage door, after one of them broke during the night
and went flying. I adjusted the springs until it was reasonably easy to
open the door, and then stopped.

I agree it's scary. I've adjusted several garage doors with torsion
springs. Most involved standing on a ladder and using 1/2" x 2 foot long
steel bars to apply torque to the spring collar, then tighten down a set
screw to hold it. There's some serious energy stored there, and it's a
scary process.

OTOH, the door that I mentioned being replaced had a nifty gear driven
adjustment scheme for the torsion springs. Spinning a hex head driver
torqued the spring, easy as pie. I'm sure it was much more expensive,
but it was SO much less scary!


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- Frank Krygowski