A garage door that won’t close can be a major inconvenience. A well-functioning garage door provides you with convenience, secures your home and your car, enhances your house’s curb appeal and appearance, and can even help make your home more energy-efficient.
When your garage door won’t close all the way, you sit with the opposite — the frustration and worry of a home that isn’t fortified or private, the unattractiveness of a door that doesn’t close and the possibility of higher utility bills. Thankfully, troubleshooting and understanding how to fix a broken garage door opener can be relatively easy once you know what may be causing the issue.
Here are six reasons why your garage door is not closing:
1. The Sensors Are Obstructed
If the garage door is clicking but won’t close, your safety sensors are probably blocked. Dirty or blocked sensors are a common cause of garage doors not closing properly. Garage door sensors use infrared light to detect obstructions and prevent the door from closing on top of whatever is in the door’s path. This excellent, vital safety feature protects you, your car and other valuables. Most modern garage doors have safety sensors, as required by federal law.
Several things can block the sensors. Usually, it’s an easy fix, like removing a small item that was accidentally pushed into the sensor’s path. The sensor’s photo eyes can also gather dust and debris like cobwebs and become obstructed. Simply wiping them down with a slightly damp microfiber cloth can fix the issue.
Sunlight directly hitting your garage door’s sensors may cause interference since they emit infrared, which can confuse the receiver. If this is the case, DIY options are only temporary. A professional will need to swap the sensor’s receiving and transmitting sides or install a sun-blocking product.
2. The Tracks or Rollers Are Blocked or Bent
Your garage door’s tracks are one of the most essential components for securing the garage door and ensuring it operates properly. The tracks are lanes along which the garage door moves, and the rollers are little wheels that help facilitate that movement along the tracks. For overhead garage doors, the tracks are on the right and left sides of the door, while the tracks run along the top and bottom for sliding garage doors.
Grit, dirt and sand can easily get stuck in the tracks and rollers, obstructing the door from closing. Dusting along the tracks and removing any grit caught in the rollers can resolve this issue. The garage door also won’t be able to close if the tracks are out of alignment, and dings and bends in the tracks can cause this. If this is the case, contact a professional immediately to have repair work done on the door. Bent tracks don’t only stop garage doors from closing — they can lead to more serious and even dangerous issues like the door coming off of the track.
3. The Cables Are Worn
A garage door’s cables keep it in place as it moves. Broken cables can compromise the functionality and safety of your garage doors. Due to the potential severity of broken cables, checking if this is why your door is not closing is vital. Apart from a stuck door, other signs of broken cables include if the door:
- Appears to be sagging or looks like the weight is not distributed properly.
- Moves unevenly when you open or close it.
- Scrapes, grinds or makes other loud and unusual noises when you open or close it.
Several factors can cause broken garage door cables, including normal wear and tear, rust or corrosion, forcefully closing the door, lack of maintenance or an incorrect installation.
It is always best to contact a professional if the garage door isn’t opening due to broken cables. An expert will be able to determine if fixing or replacing the cables is best, and they will be able to do so efficiently and safely.
4. The Springs Are Broken
Springs are essentially for ensuring your garage door opens and closes properly. The springs counterbalance the garage door’s weight, keeping it stable and secure as it operates. Signs that the springs are broken include if the door:
- Looks uneven when it opens or closes.
- Makes odd sounds when in operation.
- Takes unusually long to open or close.
- Won’t open at all.
Immediately call a professional if you suspect that the springs may be worn or broken. If the springs are broken, the garage door could come crashing down — a very dangerous scenario that can cause injury.
5. The Wrong Settings
Modern automatic garage doors have several software features that enable them to work efficiently. Check your door opener for a flashing light, then compare how many times it blinks to the manual or look it up online. This will indicate what the issue is and how you can reset your door’s settings.
6. The Batteries Are Flat
Inspecting your garage door often is an excellent way to maintain it and ensure it lasts. Troubleshooting a garage door that won’t close should always involve a physical inspection of its components, but sometimes, the simplest things can stop your garage door from closing. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that you need nothing more than new batteries for the garage door’s remote!
Should I Fix or Replace My Garage Door Opener?
If your garage door is older than 10 to 15 years, repeatedly doesn’t close properly despite troubleshooting efforts, and frequently malfunctions, it may be time to replace it completely. Replacing the opener is a cost-effective way to upgrade your garage door and ensure it works according to the latest safety requirements and technological features.
Having a professional inspect your entire garage door is the best way to know if you should fix or replace the door opener.
Get Quality Garage Doors and Services From Southeastern Garage Doors
Troubleshooting a garage door that won’t close is essential for maintaining the system’s efficiency and longevity and is also crucial for safety. While you can easily fix some of the issues that affect your garage door — like cleaning dust and dirt off the tracks — other problems, like broken springs, require professional repairs or replacements.
At Southeastern Garage Doors, we offer outstanding service and products in the residential garage door market. With 50 years of combined experience in the industry, you can rely on us to provide top-quality garage doors, garage door openers and professional garage door repairs for private homeowners and builders across the Charleston Trident area.
Feel free to contact us at (843) 747-6622 to discuss your garage door needs, or reach out online to request an estimate or request a service.
