As garage door professionals, we’ve come across just about every issue you can imagine. But usually, garage door problems are caused by a handful of issues that we see frequently. There are times that you will need professional help with even the most common of problems, but often, simply knowing what’s wrong will allow you to fix the door yourself. Here are three of the top reasons your garage door might not be working – and what you can do about it!
1. The Garage Door Closes Part Way, Then Opens Again
Garage doors are designed with photo eye sensors, which are a reversing mechanism that prevents the door from crushing objects when it closes. An invisible beam runs between the photo eyes and if anything breaks the beam, the door will go back up. Anything can trigger this reverse. So, first check the eyes. Make sure their path is clear, that they are aligned, and that they are clean. Then, check the tracks. A buildup of debris could be stopping the rollers from continuing forward. If neither of those checks fixes the problem, then it might be time to contact us.
2. The Garage Door Moves Unevenly and Shimmies Side to Side
This may be due to a lack of maintenance of the garage door or the garage door opener. The easiest way to solve an unevenly opening garage door is by removing obstructions and debris in the wheel tracks. Clear out everything and hopefully your problem will be solved. For any other common fix to this, you’ll want a professional. You can check the springs to see if they are the same length and stretch the same amount, but changing springs is extremely dangerous to do yourself. It also may be that a motor needs replacing or that the garage door track is out of alignment. Both of which are serious issues that you may be able to spot yourself, but will definitely want a professional to handle. That’s where we come in!
3. The Garage Door Sticks When Opening or Closing
First, try opening and closing the door manually. If it moves without sticking, then your trouble lies in your electric motor and you can troubleshoot it with the procedures in the manual. If you have an automatic door, try adjusting the settings – too high a setting may be the issue. It might be as simple as replacing some batteries. Otherwise, you’re in for some lubricating! Get the wheels, the tracks, and the chains, watching for debris as you go. If none of that works, the door or hinges might be uneven and for that, you will want a professional.
We rely on garage doors to do what they are supposed to do and it can be an enormous hassle to have any problems with them. Hopefully, this guide will help you with a few common issues, but we are always here to help!
