Garage Door frame fixing

[jhs14]

I'm replacing my timber garage door and frame with a new steel door/frame. I've ordered a new door in a standard size and there will be an approx 25mm gap between the steel frame and the brick opening on either side of the door (the frame should fit well vertically). This is a bit too wide to just stuff full of sealant so what's the best way to go about installing the door?

My current plan is to fix a timber batten to the wall on each side of the opening and fix angle brackets to those battens. Then attach the steel frame to the angle brackets so that the brackets sit on the interior face of the door frame.

Then I plan to fill the remaining gap with expanding foam, wait to cure and remove the excess.

So I'll be left with timber and expanding foam exposed along each side between the brick opening and the steel frame. My current plan is to cover the gap with some uPVC trim, fixed with sealant along the length of each side.

Is this the best way to do it? I suppose the only alternative is to take greater care with the timber battens - making the battens fit snugly between the brick opening and the steel frame - and, after painting the battens to match the steel frame, use the batten itself as the finished surface?

Thanks,

 

[theprinceofdarkness]

I guess these are side hung (hinged) doors. I have not got a clue about the shape of your steel frame, but I would fix it through the wooden batten into the edge of the wall. I would have thought that there would be enough space in the inside of it for countersunk screws so not to touch the edge of the door. You could cut down the width of plastic trim and use it to cover right from the brick edge to the edge of the door (over the frame). If you are going to use silicone gunk to stick it on then score and sandpaper the back of the trim, else it will fall off in a couple of years.
Frank

 

[noseall]

My experience of steel frame garage doors is that they are only fixed at certain points via brackets and that these brackets are the only points of contact with the masonry. As long as you can use an elongated bracket then your only headache is how to fill the gap, which you seem to have sussed via a timber infill and UPVC architraves or trims.
Just go easy with the silicone though as this will be your weak point and is likely to either peel or discolour or both. Savvy window fitters use dark silicone on white windows and use masking tape to form a thicker leading edge as to alleviate peeling etc.

 

[jhs14]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes they are side hung, and yes the instructions state to use brackets rather then fix directly through the frame.

If you think the silicone will struggle to hold the upvc trim to the frame/timber, is there anything better? Gripfill etc? I assumed silicone was best as that's what window fitters use.

Thanks,

 

[garyo]

Savvy window fitters use dark silicone on white windows and use masking tape to form a thicker leading edge as to alleviate peeling

Having suffered from shrunken silicone... can you re-explain that... I dont follow.

 

[noseall]

Having suffered from shrunken silicone... can you re-explain that... I dont follow.

They run the tapes down the window edge about 7mm in from the edge. Squirt the silicone down the join, finger it, then peel the masking tape away. Not only does this leave a straight edge it also leaves an edge with thickness to it as opposed to one that just feathers out to nothing that is easily damaged when cleaning.
Another trick is having a broader nozzle cut. Much better at controlling the bead. You can actually end up with more (waste) silicone and a bigger mess with a smaller bore nozzle cut.

 

[noseall]

We use two part super glue (gel and activator) when fitting plastic trims.

 

[jhs14]

Would something like gorilla glue be preferable to silicone then?

 

[noseall]

Would something like gorilla glue be preferable to silicone then?

Yes and no. Double edged sword. Polymer type adhesive/sealants have great initial grip but any exposed stuff is unlikely to stay white. And it does not tool up either. Just try and keep the adhesive away from the edges.