Clopay Door Panel Dovetails - Can't Reinforce?


  #1  
Old 03-18-18, 06:47 PM
G
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: USA
Posts: 8
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Clopay Door Panel Dovetails - Can't Reinforce?

Hello All,

I purchased a replacement garage door panel for my Clopay garage door. The panel that was replaced is a top panel and is connected to an automatic door opener. The panel must be reinforced with punched angle iron along the top edge and a reinforcement bracket placed along the panel's vertical center cross bar.

However, this panel appears to have been designed and intentionally constructed with a dovetail, or "bump out", where the vertical center cross bar meets the top edge of the panel. The result is that when I place the punched angle iron along the top of the panel I have a huge gap preventing my attaching it to the panel.

Pictures are attached.

Is this normal? How can I properly reinforce this door panel?
 
Attached Images   
  #2  
Old 03-18-18, 10:46 PM
Gunguy45's Avatar
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 19,281
Received 6 Upvotes on 6 Posts
Been a while since I dealt with Clopay, but that panel does not appear correctly made. Was it new or used? IIRC, the brace should go flush against the outer skin and that inner formed edge is attached to the vertical or crimped to it somehow.

If I had to guess, if this was used, I'd say there was an opener attached and it started to pull the vertical away. That's exactly the kind of damage I've seen when no reinforcement is used, but before it rips off completely.

Look at the end verticals...bet they are flush to the outer skin?

If it's new, contact the seller and get a replacement or have them come correct it. Heck, if it's used I'd contact the seller...not that you'll have much recourse, but they may give you some bucks back.

You might be able to use a length of wood as a backer and tap the vertical and the formed part back to flush. You can also drop that angle iron down so that it sits below the bent area, but you'll need to extend it all the way from side to side...or at least the 2 vertical braces each side of center. You'd have to do that anyway since the sheet metal is so thin. How wide is the door?
 
  #3  
Old 03-19-18, 05:47 PM
czizzi's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 6,541
Received 15 Upvotes on 13 Posts
Rotate your angle iron 90 degrees counter clockwise so that it sits on the top of the door and bends over to the center bracket. I've see this one other time when an opener was used without a reinforcement. The door had actually begun to fatigue in the center area. The bar from side to side following the contour of the door worked.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description: