Clopay Avante AV, Installation & Maintenance

27 

STEP 18 – Attaching an Automatic Opener 

IMPORTANT:

 To avoid damage to your door, you must 

reinforce the top section of the door in order to provide a 
mounting point for the opener to be attached. Refer to the 
section of this manual titled Reinforcing the Top Section on 
page 18 for specific instructions. Failure to reinforce the door 
as illustrated will void the warranty on your door. 
 

To avoid risk of strangulation or personal injury to 
children, if your door has a pull rope, you must remove 
the pull down rope when you install an automatic garage 
door opener.

IMPORTANT:

 When installing an automatic garage door 

operator, make sure to follow manufacturer’s installation and 
safety instructions carefully. Remove the pull down rope and 
unlock or remove the lock. If attaching an operator bracket 
to the wooden anchor pad, make sure the wood anchor pad 
is free of cracks and splits and is firmly attached to the wall. 
Always drill pilot holes before attaching lag screws. 
 
The operator arm will usually be attached to the vertical 
reinforcement member at roughly the same height as the top 
roller of the door. Attach the opener arm to the reinforcement 
as shown in Figures 18-B to 18-C. To prevent the top of the 
door from bending, the opener rail should be mounted no less 
than 2" and no greater than 5" from the face of the door with 
the door in the open position (FIG. 18-A). Additionally, when 
the door is closed, the portion of the operator arm attached to 
the door should be at angle of approximately 60 degrees from 
the vertical. 
 
 

FIG. 18-B (Doors with odd number of panels) 

FIG. 18-A 

FIG. 18-C (Doors with Angle Iron Reinforcement Bracket 
and Stile in Center of Door) 

Opener Arm Attachment To Horizontal Angle Or Strut 

 Opener Arm 

  Punched 
  Angle 

Horizontal Angle 
Or Strut 

Punched

Angle

   Horizontal

Angle

Or Strut

Opener Arm 

  Lock These Nuts 
  Together Securely 

Opener Arm Attachment To Vertical Angle

   Horizontal
   Punched 

  Angle

3/8” x 
1-1/2” 
Hex Bolt 

   Opener Arm

Vertical 
Punched
Angle 

3/8” 
Hex Nut

 Mounting Surface
 Of Door

  Vertical Punched
  Angle 

   Lock These 
   Nuts Together 
   Securely 

    Opener 
    Arm 

 Leave 
 Clearance 

Opener Rail Mounting Distance 

 Ceiling 

 Opener Rail 

Horizontal Track 

  Keep Clearance at 2” – 5”

60

degrees