A garage door system is made of dozens of different parts that all work together day in and day out. Because of this, problems are bound to arise at one point or another. When they do, you can feel fully prepared to handle them, thanks to our guide on the ten most common garage door problems.
The Door Won’t Open or Close at All
You press the button on your remote or wall switch, and… nothing. The opener motor doesn’t even make a sound. The most common reason for a garage door opener not working is dead batteries in the remote. Try replacing them to see if your garage door opens and closes like normal.
If adding new batteries doesn’t work, check to see if the opener unit is plugged into its ceiling outlet. It’s possible the plug was loosened by the system’s vibration. If everything checks out here, a circuit breaker may have tripped. Take a look at your home’s electrical panel to confirm.
If your garage door’s opener does make noise when you push a button on your remote or wall switch, there may be a broken torsion spring or snapped cable. Attempting to fix springs on your own can be dangerous, so call a professional to inspect your system further.
The Remote or Keypad Fails to Work
Can you open the door just fine using the wired wall switch inside your garage, but your remote or outdoor keypad is completely unresponsive? This garage door problem lies with the remote control system itself. Most of the time, this is just a dead battery. If that’s not it, you may need to reprogram the remote, as it can sometimes lose its connection after a power outage. It’s also possible the antenna on the opener motor is blocked or damaged. You can refer to the manufacturer’s manual on programming the remote.
Noisy Operation (Squeaking, Grinding, Banging)
Is your garage door announcing its presence to the entire neighborhood? A symphony of squeaks, grinds, rattles, and bangs is a clear sign that your door needs attention.
The problem may be due to rollers, hinges, or springs that desperately need lubrication (use a garage-door-specific lubricant, not WD-40!). Or it could be a sign of more serious wear. For example, worn-out rollers, loose hardware (like nuts and bolts), or parts rubbing together that shouldn’t be can all create a racket.
If adding lubricant to the rollers, hinges, and springs doesn’t quiet the noise, you will want to schedule a garage door repair to get to the bottom of the problem.
The Door Reverses Immediately After Hitting the Floor
If your garage door goes all the way down and then immediately shoots back open, this is almost always a problem with the “close force” settings on your opener. Specifically, when the door touches the ground, the opener thinks it’s hitting an obstruction (like a child or a pet) and tells the door to reverse in its path. A professional can adjust the settings on your garage door’s opener so that it allows the door to close completely.
The Door Reverses Before Hitting the Floor
Does the following sound familiar? You hit the close button, the door starts to go down, and then it suddenly stops and reverses. This is a textbook symptom of dirty or misaligned safety sensors, or “photo eyes.” These are the two small boxes on either side of your garage door opening, near the floor. They shoot an invisible beam of light across the opening. If that beam is broken by anything (a box, a trash can, a stray leaf, or even a spider web), the door will not close.
Try wiping off the sensors and ensuring they’re properly aligned. If the problem persists, it could be due to a more complex electrical or calibration issue in your opener system. You will need to book a garage door opener repair to have this resolved.
A Broken Garage Door Spring
Your garage door’s springs do most of the heavy lifting. Over time, these springs weaken due to constant tension and can eventually break. When that happens, you’ll likely hear a loud “snap” or “bang” and notice that the door won’t open because it is simply too heavy for the opener to move on its own. You must note that garage door spring repairs are extremely dangerous and should only be performed by a professional.
Snapped or Fraying Lift Cables
Working in tandem with the springs are the high-tension lift cables, which are found on either side of the door. These cables are responsible for pulling the door’s weight as the spring unwinds. Over time, they can fray, rust, and eventually snap. When one cable breaks, the door will become incredibly lopsided, often jamming at an angle and getting stuck. This is another very dangerous situation, as the door could fall if the other cable gives way, so call a professional for emergency garage door repairs.
The Door Is Off-Track
When the door’s rollers come out of the metal tracks, the door can jam completely, often at a severe angle. This is usually the result of another issue, like a snapped cable (which pulls the door unevenly) or a worn-out roller that finally failed. It can also be caused by a significant impact, like backing into the door or track with your car. If your garage door is hanging at an angle or off its track, do not try to move it; you could cause it to collapse. Instead, reach out to DoorTek for a track repair.
Worn-Out or Damaged Rollers
The small wheels that run inside the tracks are called rollers. They’re typically made of nylon or steel. Over thousands of cycles, they wear out. The nylon can crack and chip, and the ball bearings in steel rollers can seize up. Worn rollers are a primary source of noise and can cause jerky, hesitant door movement. If they fail completely, they can cause the door to come off its track. If you suspect a problem with your system’s rollers, schedule a garage door roller repair with a qualified technician.
The Door Is Unbalanced
Does your door seem to struggle more than it used to? Is your opener motor groaning under the strain? Your door is likely unbalanced. This typically happens as the springs weaken over time and become unable to provide the right amount of counter-balance. This forces your opener’s motor and gears to do far more work than they were designed for, leading to premature failure.
Have you noticed a gap beneath the garage door when it’s closed? This is another sign that the door isn’t properly balanced. To prevent further issues, you will need to have a professional technician rebalance the system.
Get Your Garage Door Rolling Again With Expert Repairs
It can be tempting to search for a quick fix on the internet and try to tackle common garage door problems yourself. However, while changing a remote battery or clearing a sensor obstruction is perfectly fine, most other garage door repairs should be left to the professionals.
There are two primary reasons for this: your safety and the complexity of the work. The garage door has components under an immense amount of strain. If released improperly, the components can cause severe, life-altering injuries or worse. Additionally, “fixing” the wrong problem or making even a simple mistake with a part replacement can cause the entire system to fail and lead to more expensive repairs in the future. So, instead of risking your safety and peace of mind with a DIY garage door repair, turn to a trained technician who can diagnose the root cause of the problem and fix it correctly the first time.
Our team at DoorTek is trained, licensed, and insured to handle every single one of these garage door problems. We have the specialized tools and expertise to get your door operating safely and smoothly again. So, contact us at any point for a fast, professional, and safe repair.
