You come in tired from work and push your remote button to open the garage. The light goes on, and you pull into your garage, happy to be home. Then you push the button again, and nothing happens. Your garage door is wide open, and the door won’t close. You ask yourself why won’t my garage door close.
Unfortunately, it happens, and it’s always inconvenient. Your garage door is heavy, and it takes a complicated assembly to make it lift easily. A lot of things could go wrong. Some issues are easy to deal with. But, others will require professional repair.
Easy issues you can fix:
- At the bottom of the door on each side are safety sensors with lights. If anything is in the way (including your car bumper), the door will not close. Are the lights on the sensors steady or blinking? Blinking lights indicate obstruction or misalignment.
- Check for any object that might protrude between the two sensors.
- When safety sensors are misaligned, the garage door won’t close with a remote or a keypad. They have to be clean and lined up with the lights on the same level, facing each other (imagine a straight line between them).
- You can override the safety eyes by holding down the wall button until the door is completely closed. If the door still won?t close then give it a visual inspection.
- Make sure the garage door arm is attached to the trolley. If the trolley moves when you push the garage door opener, but the garage door does not, bring the trolley to the top of the track and pull the cord. The trolley will engage, and your door should close.
- Next, inspect the parts of the assembly. Does your garage door look level and straight? If it appears to be skewed, call for repair. Don’t try to close it. Do not disengage the garage door from the trolley. That would increase the chances of the door falling, which could damage the door, the track, and be dangerous to anyone in or around the garage
- Check the track. Look at the fittings and brackets. Are there any loose bolts or screws? If so, tighten them and try to close the door.
- If that’s not it, check the track itself. Are there any obstructions blocking the wheels?
- Do the wheels turn freely when you move the door? If not, lubricate the tracks and hardware with garage door lubrication.
So, if you find and fix any of these issues, try to close the door. You’d be surprised at how often it’s a simple fix!
When it’s time to call for professional repair:
- Does your garage door opener have a loose drive chain or visible damage?
- Are the cables slack?
- Are the cables properly spooled around the drums and pulleys?
- With the garage door open, you won’t be able to inspect the springs. Broken springs is one of the most common garage door problems. Once you’ve eliminated everything else, broken springs are most likely the culprit.
Most noteworthy, we do not recommend trying to fix the door assembly yourself. The cables and springs are under a great deal of pressure and can pose serious risk to your body and your property. And, closing the door by hand could be dangerous. Your garage door weighs a lot, and a broken assembly means there is no tension to slow it down as it crashes to the ground. So, once you close it, it will be equally dangerous and difficult to open. If it’s not a simple fix, call a professional garage door repair service for help.