Door Closure Problems - What You Need to Know

Garage doors are designed to be durable and reliable, but even these are not completely immune to damage. A door that is no longer opening and closing as it should could need to repaired or it could just require a few quick maintenance checks.

To help you understand common closure problems and what they could mean, Garage Door Repair Suffolk will take the time to list some of the main issues you should look out for. We hope to educate all property owners, from Suffolk, VA and beyond, so they can make the best decisions if (or when) their doors malfunction on them.

Without further ado, here is what you need to know about door closure issues.

Reasons your door won’t open

1) Flat transmitter batteries

Transmitter issues tend to be the most common reason for a door not to open as easily as it should. Test the transmitter on the wall first: if it works, the problem lies in your remote control battery. The way to check this is by pressing the transmitter button on the wall to open and close the door, then doing the same with the one you have in your car. If you have more than one car transmitter, check if these are working as well – though we would recommend to change their batteries too, if that’s where the problem is, since you would have installed them all around the same time.

Actually, a car transmitter battery change is simple enough on its own – usually, you just need to open it up (you may need a screw driver to do this in some cases) and replace the batteries. Test to see if that makes a difference and if it does, you’re all set. Otherwise, call a garage door professional to investigate the problem.

2) Photo eye is out of alignment

Photo eyes are the sensors you will find on either side of your garage door. You’ll encounter them on all modern automatic doors, and they are designed to prevent these from closing on top of someone or anything that gets in the way – so it’s a safety mechanism as well as a damage prevention device.

If you have no issues opening a door but struggle to close it using your remote control, check to see if there’s any dirt or debris disrupting the sensor. Cleaning only takes a soft cloth and a streak-free cleaner. Be careful not to scratch the photo eye though – these tiny components are made of glass, so be gentle and avoid oversaturating the area with cleaning product.

If dirt is not the source your issues, check the door’s alignment – both sides should be angled and pointing in the exact same direction. Measure it from the ground to make your initial diagnosis. A simple misalignment can be fixed by using a level, but you should call a garage door professional if the door is too far out of balance.

3) Door is out of track

Your door’s metal track needs to be fully aligned in order for it to open and close smoothly. Gaps or bends are a problem, and you may need a repairs professional to handle it. Some of the main signs to look out for in this case include a rubbing noise, or an unusual delay or slowing down in opening the door.

Out of track doors should be handled with caution. If you can still open it, the fix is simple enough: its’ just a matter or realigning it by loosening the screws and tapping it back into position. Anything more than that, though, will be too dangerous to deal with yourself. We strongly recommend that you leave this issue to a qualified technician.

4) Motor transmitter damage

You need to test this one from close range as sometimes the issue is merely the cause of trying to open the door from too far away. Transmitters are programmed to respond to specific frequencies, which can be changed if needed. When you’re close by and not getting a response, you’ll need to check your antennas.

Damaged antennas need to be replaced by professionals. Before hiring someone to do this, look to see if there’s anything causing interference – the antenna should be hanging down from the motor and nothing should be blocking its way. And, obviously, check if you can see any signs of damage too.

Keep in mind that motor issues can come in many different variations. If in doubt, get a garage door repair technician to inspect things for you.

5) Broken springs and cables

These components are there to slowly and safely lift and lower your door for you. When a spring or a cable is damaged, your door will likely close more abruptly than usual, often landing with loud bang on impact with the floor. Needless to say, this type of damage is very dangerous.

In this case, you have no other choice but to call a repairs professional. It’s not safe to try any sort of DIY troubleshooting. Avoid using the door while you wait for a fix – once a spring or cable breaks, the stress will be too much for its nearby components, so the damage could snowball into something worse.

A lot of garage door technicians offer 24/7 assistance for these types of issues, so get in touch with an expert in your area to get these attended to in a safe and timely manner.

Calling a garage door professional

As you can see, some of the issues above are best left to qualified professionals. If you live in Suffolk, VA, consider getting in touch with the licensed and insured team at Garage Door Repair Suffolk. If you live elsewhere, make sure to find a locally-based technician with the right credentials and who is able to give you a full cost breakdown upfront. When it comes to finding the best professional for the job, it pays to ask around – get referrals, and request a free consultation with the garage door repairs business you are looking to hire. Once you’ve made an informed decision, the technician will make an appointment to inspect the damage and get the job done – simple as that.