As a manufacturer of high-quality roll-up doors, we understand the importance of proper installation to ensure the longevity of your investment. Our doors are built with quality materials to withstand the test of time, and with proper installation, they can last a lifetime in your self-storage facility.

By taking the time to properly install your self-storage door, you'll be able to avoid costly maintenance and repairs down the road. There will also be minimal upkeep and maintenance, as well as less doors and/or door parts needing to be replaced over time.

In fact, a well-built and installed door can cycle tens of thousands of times with only minimal wear and tear on the parts and curtain. This means that ideally, you'll only need to buy and install the door once, and it will pay off over its lifetime of use.

We want to help make the installation process as easy as possible for you, so we've compiled some tips to ensure that your self-storage door is installed correctly and efficiently. By following these tips, you can rest assured that your door will perform as it should without having to worry about maintenance or repairs - allowing you to focus on what really matters: using your storage unit to its fullest potential.

Door Due Diligence

When it comes to purchasing a door for your self-storage facility, due diligence is key. There are multiple factors to consider when selecting the right door for your facility, such as the height of your hallway system, the layout of your storage units, and whether you need interior or exterior doors.

Height of your hallways system will determine how tall the door curtain and guides will need to be, as well as how wide the door will need to be based on the size of storage units needed. The layout would also determine if swing doors or locker doors are needed for the facility in lieu of roll up doors.

Exterior doors typically are not climate controlled, which brings insulation of the door into question. Also, what color do the doors need to be painted to properly showcase the facility. All of these specifications need to be considered before purchasing doors for a facility.

When it comes to working with a door manufacturer, it's essential to find one that is the right fit for your door needs. Quality is of course the most critical factor to consider when assessing a door manufacturer but there are many more that you should be aware of.

Ask yourself these questions to properly assess if you are investing in a quality door from any manufacturer:

• Is it made of quality materials that are durable, aesthetically pleasing, and last a lifetime?
• Does the door have a quality design that allows an ease of installation and use, yet does not carry any flaws & shortcomings that leave more to be desired?
• Is the door packaged and shipped in a quality manner that allows it to be taken straight from the truck to the storage unit for installation without having to worry about damage during shipping (which would then call for having to order replacements before even getting a chance to install them)?
• Does the manufacturer provide quality customer service; including clear and concise communication, a clear understanding of expectations, and a drive to meet and exceed your needs as the customer?

At SteelBlue, we pride ourselves on our emphasis on quality and exceptional customer service. We use exclusively high-quality materials, design our doors for easy installation & use, and package & ship them with care to ensure they arrive in perfect condition. We also prioritize customer service and are committed to providing clear communication and exceeding your expectations.

Essential Tools for Self-Storage Door Installation

When it comes to self-storage door installation, having the right tools is essential. Here is a list of essential tools that you will need for a proper installation:

• Impact Drill
• ½” Ratchet Drive
• Sockets ranging from 3/8”-9/16”
• Tape Measure
• Level
• Gloves
• Eye Protection
• Ladder (if necessary)

By having all the necessary tools on hand, the installation process will be more efficient and lead to quicker completion of the job. With the right tools, installers can work faster and more efficiently, allowing them to put up more doors in a day. This ultimately leads to the job being finished quicker, making the installation process less stressful for all involved.

Understanding The Dimensions of Your Self-Storage Unit

When it comes to self-storage door installation, accurate measurements are crucial. It's essential to measure the dimensions of your storage unit correctly to ensure that the right size doors are accounted for. This includes the width and height of the unit. The height of the unit is particularly important as it determines the height of the door curtain, guides, and header.

To ensure a proper fit, it's important to check that the opening to the unit and the rest of the unit is level and squared up. Small differences in the positioning of parts can cause doors and parts to not fit properly, leading to further problems down the line. Double-checking measurements is also critical. Always verify the opening height and width, the door width, and cross-check them with the measurements on the architectural drawings to avoid any future problems and allow for a more efficient installation.

Installing The Self-Storage Door

Now that you are educated about what you will need to install your roll-up door and have done your due diligence, it is time to actually do the work. Below is our step by step guide on how to install a SteelBlue 7530 Series door. If you are purchasing from a different manufacturer, we recommend you to follow the installation guide for that particular product. You can find our installation guide linked to the graphic above.

‍STEP 1: VERIFY OPENING

• Verify wall opening width and height.  
• Verify these measurements against the size detailed on the door package label.
• Verify if the jambs are plumb. Ensure the inside of the header and jambs are flush with each other. DO NOT use any fasteners on the inside of the header as they might interfere with the door operation and may cause damage to the door.
• Check that the floor and header are level.
• Verify adequate side clearance at jambs and headroom clearance above and at sides of header.  
• Check horizontal and vertical headroom requirements.
• Verify that the guide mounting surface on the jamb is flush.
• Make sure all parts required for installation are with the door

STEP 2: POSITION DOOR & PARTS

• Inside the building place the left guide on the floor perpendicular to the opening with guide bottom closest to the left jamb and the top toward inside of the building.
• Repeat steps for the right guide.
• Bend tab on guides up approximately 30° prior to installing the guides
• Install left & right guide using (2) 5/16-18 x 3/4 Carriage Bolts, Flat washers and Nuts making sure to keep both sides the same in the provided adjustment slots. The guides can be adjusted vertically and horizontally slightly once the door brackets are secured to the wall.

STEP 3: LIFTING DOOR ASSEMBLY

• Move the door and guide assemblies toward the wall opening with the bottom of guides resting next to the jambs.
• Lift door assembly evenly, pivoting around the bottom of the guides. This will require 2 people to lift into place.
• Doors over 8’-0” high will require a mechanical lifting device to lift the door and guide into mounting position.
• Any mechanical lifting device, such as forklifts or genie lifts, must be padded to prevent curtain damage.

STEP 4: SECURING GUIDES AND HOOD TO JAMB

• Attach hood and guides to jambs using fasteners provided.
• The door should be centered on the opening, taper bottom of guides inward 1/4-3/8" before fastening to frames.  
• Make sure the door is level.

STEP 5: SETTING INITIAL SPRING TENSION

• Before applying initial spring tension, assure the tensioner pawl is fully engaged with tensioner ratchet.
• Rotate door two (2) revolutions in the direction that would send the bottom bar down through the guides.
• While firmly holding the door at the bottom bar, remove the zip ties that are holding the door in a coil.
• Direct the bottom bar down into the guides stopping just past the head stop area, and hold securely through completion of Step 6.

STEP 6: HEAD STOPS

• Insert head of ¼-20 x ½ carriage bolt into keyhole on guide, slide head stop up and tighten in desired position ensuring that there is no pinch point between handle and header when door is fully open.
• Once in place, install (2) #10 Self-tapping screws into the provided holes to secure the head stop to guide.

STEP 7: HANDLES

• Install handle(s) on the outside of the bottom bar using ¼ - 20 x 5/8” carriage bolts and nuts.

STEP 8: CHECK DOOR OPERATION

• Lower and raise the door to test door balance.
• If the door is easy to close, but hard to open, increase spring tension.
• If the door is hard to close, but easy to open, decrease spring tension.

STEP 9: ADJUST SPRING TENSION (if necessary)

• Insert ½” Ratchet drive into tensioner bearing.
• Loosen safety carriage bolt located on the tensioner pawl to allow the pawl to move freely.
• To add tension: rotate tensioner bearing clockwise until the desired number of clicks is achieved. Screw in safety carriage bolt and test door balance.
• To remove tension: apply enough clockwise pressure with ratchet drive to release the tensioner pawl. While holding the tensioner pawl clear of the bearing, carefully rotate the tensioner bearing counter-clockwise until the desired number clicks are removed. Allow the pawl to rotate back in place, screw in the safety carriage bolt, and test door balance.
• Repeat these steps as necessary until proper door balance is achieved.
• A properly balanced door will remain in place if closed to ¼ of the opening height. (With the door open, roll the door down ¼ of the total opening height and release the door.)

STEP 10: PRODUCT SAFETY LABELS

• Install provided product safety labels.
• This completes the door installation process.

How to Properly Secure the Door

Use all of the fasteners provided- starting at the top of the door hood plate, all the way to the last opening in the guide. This will ensure that the door is properly fastened to the jamb, and that the weight of the door is properly distributed across the hood and the guides.

Troubleshooting Common Issues During the Installation Process

A common issue is lateral movement of the door curtain. If there is enough lateral movement of the curtain, the latch will disengage and the door will be free to roll up and down. If this is an issue, then the bottom of the guides were not tapered enough to prevent it. Increase the taper of the guides until the lateral movement is eliminated.

Another common issue would be an un-level or crooked door. If this is the case, check the carriage bolts that attach the guides to the hood plate. These bolts should be set at the same point in the adjustment slot, and if they are not, then the door will be crooked. To fix this, first unfasten the hood plate from the door jamb flush plate. After that, loosen the carriage bolt that attaches the guide to the hood plate, but do not fully remove it. Once this is done, leverage the door hood up or down until the door is flush and level with the opening/header, and tighten the carriage bolt at that point. After this is complete, fasten the hood plate to the flush plate (SIFL) again, and the door will be ready to go.

The Last Word

We've discussed several tips for an easy self-storage door installation. Quality and customer experience should be the top priority when searching for a door and door manufacturer. Always ensure a proper fit by double-checking measurements, making sure all components are square and plumb, and never get caught with the wrong tools, or worse - without tools.

Proper installation is critical for longevity and security. The quality materials in the door will stand up to the weather, burglars, hard use, and the test of time, and will continue to power through with ease. By investing in a quality self-storage door, especially from SteelBlue, you can have peace of mind knowing that your investment will last for years to come.

Stay up to date with all things SteelBlue and to sign up for our newsletter! You will gain access to special offers that are exclusive to those that sign up for the newsletter. Staying up to date with SteelBlue means staying up to date with best in the business quality and an exceptional customer experience!