Garage Door Closure Problems

The typical scenario goes something like this: you’re leaving your house to go to work for the day. Then you click the remote in your car to close the garage door. As you’re backing carefully out of the driveway, you suddenly realize that your garage door is still open. You press the button on the remote again, watch the garage door drop down about halfway, but then it starts to open again. This is frustrating, of course, because you have things you need to get done, but you don’t want the garage door to be left wide open while you are gone. So what do you do? Have a look at some of the common issues outlined below. This will provide you with guidance so you have a better idea of what to do the next time you have garage door closure problems.

1. Garage door won’t close all of the way – it reverses every time you attempt to shut it.

The simple check is to look for some sort of object in the garage door’s track. If the door senses that something is in its path, then it will reverse. This is a safety feature which is meant to prevent the door from coming down on a person or animal. Look for small items like leaves and sticks.

Another issue that could be causing the garage door to reverse is the track. Notice their condition and shape. Are they bent? This might be triggering the problem with the garage door. If you have checked this, as well as for a potential obstruction in the track, then you can look at the opener’s limit switch. If parts are loose, tighten them up using a screw driver. If none of these things work, then the next step would be to call a local garage door repair expert. You are sure to be able to find someone reliable in your area.

2. The remote isn’t working correctly.

Yes, the cause for concern when a garage door is having closure problems could be that the remote isn’t working. First, try the batteries. Does the remote work if you swap out the batteries? If so, the problem was simple: it was just a dead or dying battery. If this isn’t the problem, then check the remote eyes. Are they clean? Can you see dirt? Clean them off. If these things don’t solve the problem but you think that the issue is in fact the garage door opener remote, talk to an expert about the next step, which might be to get a new remote altogether.

3. Safety sensors are causing the garage door to fail to close correctly.

Safety sensors were made to keep things safe. Unfortunately, things can still go wrong. These sensors can be found at the bottom of the door. One thing that you will notice with sensors is that they light up. But if the lights are blinking, this could mean that there is an issue. Perhaps they are not properly aligned, for example. Make sure they are realigned. Also ensure that nothing is in the sensor’s path.

4. There is an issue with the wall switch.

A malfunctioning power source with the opener could cause an overall problem with the wall switch. To check for this, you need to know what to look for in the circuit breaker in terms of fuses. If there is ever something that you are not comfortable fully with, it is very important to call an expert in for help. This can save you from getting hurt or from damaging the garage door.  

This information was merely meant to provide some guidance to property owners dealing with garage door closure problems. They are not meant to be instructive steps – it is a better idea to call an expert for help when dealing with the garage door and its various parts so that everything is properly done. The most important thing is to be safe when working with a garage door and attempting to diagnose issues. Even something as simple as examining components can prove to be dangerous. Just imagine if the very heavy garage door came falling down fast. You don’t want this to happen due to a small mistake. If very basic steps don’t work for you, then look up a garage door repair service in your city. You can do this easily on Google. If you’d prefer to go off referrals, then ask your friends and other people you know you can count on. Chances are, someone in your social circle has hired a garage door repair specialist in the past. Listen to their advice and take advantage of the business that they recommend.