Is your garage door struggling to close correctly? Does it shake or come down uneven? Or does it refuse to close at all? Having a garage door that won't close can be a frustrating experience. You also may be concerned that you'll need a costly repair or even a replacement to fix the issue. The good news is that many garage door issues have very simple solutions. Below are three of the most common reasons why a garage door won't shut properly. Check to see if any of these sound familiar and, if so, take action to get your garage door back on track.
The sensors are out of alignment or blocked. For safety reasons, most automatic garage doors have safety sensors, or electronic eyes, at the bottom of the rails. These sensors detect whether anything is in the path of the garage door as it's closing. If so, then the sensors send a signal that stops the garage door from going any further. If your garage door closes partially but then stops, there could be an issue with the sensors.
First, check to see whether anything is in the path of the garage door and the sensors. If not, check to see whether the sensors are out of alignment with each other. If they are, that could have the same effect as something blocking their path. Also, wipe off the sensor lenses. The sensors may mistake dust and dirt as a blockage.
There's a blockage in the track. Your garage door may also have trouble closing if the tracks are blocked or bent. The rollers could hit the blockage, then stop and start moving back upward. Try to see where the rollers are in the track when the garage door stops or when it starts having trouble. Then inspect that area of the track for anything that may be disrupting the rollers' movement. For example, a rock or large piece of dirt could be enough to stop your rollers.
Also, look to see if the track is bent. That could have the same impact as a blockage. If it is bent, you'll likely need a garage door service technician to repair it.
The springs are loose or broken. Is the issue that your garage door actually falls too fast? Or that one side comes down faster than the other? If so, that's a sign that your springs may be damaged. Garage door springs are designed to help the door lower at a safe and reasonable rate. They hold the door back and release it a little bit at a time. When a spring becomes loose or broken, though, the door will simply fall as fast as it can.
Look at your springs as the door closes. Do they release and extend at the same rate? Have one or both of them become unhinged from the door?
If so, you'll definitely want a repair company to inspect and fix the springs. Springs can be dangerous to handle, so you probably don't want to attempt the job yourself. For more information, contact Shank Door or a similar company.,
Share3 December 2015
Does your garage door open and close as it should? How long have you been having troubles with your garage door? If you have been putting off getting repairs on your garage door, now is the time to step up and get it operating properly. Find some troubleshooting tips and tricks that can help you pinpoint the problem and possibly make the repairs without the assistance of a professional repair technician. You will also learn about the repair tasks that do require professional assistance and get an idea of what each of those services will cost you to have done.
