How to Remove a Steel Rolling Door - DDM Garage Doors Blog

In the Commercial and Industrial garage door industries, you will often encounter steel rolling doors. At times there will be a necessity to remove a steel rolling door. These instructions are for smaller rolling doors less than 16 feet wide and 14 feet high.

Getting Started

1. First, if there is a hood covering the barrel, remove the hood.
2. Open the steel rolling door that requires removal.
3. Remove the tracks on each side, but leave the longer vertical angles that support the endplates.
4. Then, wrap a strap or rope around the center of the curtain. Roll the curtain as needed, then tighten and secure the strap or rope.

Disabling the Operator

5. Next, free the drive hand chain if there is no operator.
6. If there is an operator, remove the final drive chain.
7. Suspend the operator if it is attached to the endplate.

Supporting the Barrel

8. Unwind the spring(s) unless the spring or springs are already broken.
9. Support the barrel and curtain in the middle with forklift blades separated as far as possible, checking to assure there is adequate clearance above the barrel. Then, to protect the slats, cover the forklift blades with pallets or 2 X 6 boards under the curtain. If there is not enough clearance, stack pallets and lift these in place to support the barrel.

Securing the Curtain

These are the more challenging steps of the process to remove a steel rolling door.

10. Secure the curtain with a rope or strap to prevent it from rolling off the blades or pallets in the following steps.
11. Then, remove the two or three bolts on each side, which secure the endplates to the vertical angle. Raise the forks as needed to free the bolts.
12. It is now time to lower the curtain. Important! Remember, since the springs are off to one side, the distribution of the door’s weight will be uneven. As you pull the curtain away from the header, the winding side will be heavier, and it may possibly drop. Therefore, support this end as needed with a rope, straps, or by hand as a second person walks this end down a ladder.

Final Steps

13. Lower the removed steel rolling door to the floor.
14. Finally, remove the two long vertical angles from the jambs. Some installers like to reuse the existing track angles. This may be possible if the S-dimension and holes on the new door and end plates match the S-dimension and holes on the old door.
15. This concludes the removal of a steel rolling door.

Note: For instructions on installing a new door, view our blog titled, “How to Install a Steel Rolling Door.” However, if you need to replace the springs on your door, our blog titled, “How to Replace Steel Rolling Door Springs,” will provide you with additional support.   

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