If your garage door is stuck open, shut, or partway open, don’t panic. This isn’t uncommon. Several things could have happened to cause this problem. Your door could be jammed, it could have lost power, or some important component could have broken. Don’t try to operate it if something is amiss. Perform a visual inspection first to see if you can figure out what’s wrong. Here are some specific things you should look for during your investigation.
Is something jammed in the door’s path?
Look for obstructions, such as rocks, or damage anywhere in your garage door system. Check hinges, rollers, the track itself, and other moving components. Also take a look at the photo eye sensors near the floor on either side of your garage door opening. Make sure nothing is blocking the beam. Check to be sure the sensors are clean as well; dust can also block the beam.
Next, check the pulley to make sure nothing is jamming it and the cables haven’t fallen off or wrapped around it incorrectly. If there’s a problem with the pulley, don’t attempt to fix it yourself. Call a garage door repair person immediately.
Has the weather changed recently?
The weather can affect the way your door operates. Cold temperatures can cause your garage door system to contract and have a harder time moving. It’s possible that your garage door opener needs to be adjusted to apply more force to operate your door. If this is the case, call a garage door technician for assistance.
Did a spring break?
A good way to determine if a spring has broken is to attempt to lift the door (after pulling the emergency release cord) when (and only if) it’s in the down position. If the door doesn’t lift fairly easily, it’s likely that a spring has broken. Springs do most of the work to lift and carefully lower the garage door, so they’re under extreme tension. Call a professional to fix a broken spring for you. Don’t attempt to operate your door at this time, or you could seriously damage your system, creating a larger, more expensive problem to be fixed.
Did your garage door lose power?
This is a fairly common problem that many homeowners forget to check when their garage door stops working. Make sure the batteries in your remote aren’t dead, and check to see if your garage door opener is receiving electricity. You can do this by pulling the emergency release cord and attempting to manually lift your door. If it opens easily and nothing is scraping or resisting, your garage door opener is likely the issue.
Is the door still on the track?
If you see that your garage door has fallen off the track, don’t touch any part of the system. Attempting to move your door up or down could cause further damage. You don’t want to make the problem worse and end up having to replace your door when you could have easily called someone to fix the problem and send you on your merry way.
If you need your garage door repaired or replaced in or around the Cedar Rapids area, call Doors by George. We’d love to offer our expert advice or come out to your property to service your garage door or operator. Contact us anytime.
