8 common reasons why your garage door is not closing properly
Imagine this – you have a critical meeting lined up in an hour, and suddenly, your garage door refuses to close! We get it – the frustration is real. But, you need not panic as we’ve got your back. We’ll uncover the 8 most common reasons why your garage door is not closing as it should. Starting with typical issues concerning the garage door opener, followed by problems related to the hardware.
Opener-related Issues
1 Check your garage door opener sensor alignment
The most common reason for a garage not closing is the sensors. Every garage door opener features safety sensors located close to the floor, flanking both sides of the tracks.
Follow the script: Turn off the power, and loose the sensor screws. Gently slide each sensor downwards, and tie a string between the sensors to guarantee they are correctly aligned. Once levelled, firmly secure the screws back into place. After making these adjustments, you have to do a safety check in the opener, to confirm that sensors are properly aligned. After that, your door should run regularly.
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2 Clean your sensors
Lack of maintenance can lead to dirty sensors. Over time, dirt and dust can obscure the garage door sensors, making them ineffective. If you can’t see the beam, and you have dirt in your sensors, use a soft microfiber cloth, the kind often used for cleaning screens, to gently remove the grime from your sensors. Be gentle to not misalign the sensors. Try to avoid using water on your initial clean – this should be only used if the dirt persists after the dry clean.
Now you need to check the colour of your sensors. Both should be green, indicating they’re still synchronized with each other. If you see blinking or not green, this is a sign they’re out of alignment and will need adjusting. With the right upkeep, your garage door should run smoothly.
3 Check the power and wiring
After adjusting the sensor mount but the motor keeps malfunctioning, it’s crucial to verify that both the opener and sensor are receiving power. Look out for loose wires on the mount, ensuring they’re correctly powered. Also, examine the motor head to check if any broken wires are preventing the opener from obtaining the power for proper functionality. If the wires are damaged, they need to be replaced immediately. After fixing the wiring, if there is no light beam in the sensor mount, you’re facing a sensor failure that needs replacement.
4 Travel limits: Garage Door not closing all the way and not retracting
If your garage door won’t close all the way, not retracting but stuck in a different position than it should, you might have to adjust your garage door opener travel limits. The limit screws communicate to the opener’s control board when to stop opening or closing. Here’s a straightforward guide to solve this:
5 Check your garage door opener remote control
If your garage door shuts adequately when the internal wall button is pressed, but fails with the remote, there’s a good chance your remote is the issue. Begin by inspecting the batteries – swap them out and give it another go.
Replacing the batteries might inadvertently wipe your garage door opener’s memory, thus reprogramming the remote control becomes necessary. To do this, find the ‘LEARN’ button, usually situated under the rear flap or light cover in your motor head. Press until a light begins to flash, then press a button on your remote. After this process, your garage door opener remote control should work properly.
Manually close your garage door
So you’ve checked all the solutions opener-related above, and yet your garage door stubbornly can’t close? No worries. It’s time to pull the emergency release (usually in red) and manually close the door. If this still doesn’t make the door work smoothly, you should shift the focus to the garage hardware.
Hardware-related problems
6 Check your tracks
Carefully inspect the tracks; grime, dirt, or any obstruction in these could be preventing your door from fully closing. While conducting this inspection, you should also check for bumps or dents which could prevent the smooth motion of the door. Damaged tracks can be quite problematic and could potentially lead to the garage door coming off track. If you come across any of these issues, it’s advisable to hire a skilled technician with the right tools and expertise for track replacement.
7 Check your rollers
Your rollers can also be one of the reasons why your garage door is not sealing properly. These parts work to facilitate the garage door to slide smoothly along its tracks. When they’re damaged or not rolling as they should, your door won’t shut properly. To keep them in shape, use silicone-based grease at least once a year. However, if you find any visible damage, don’t hesitate to call in the pros. A faulty roller can take the door off-track, causing serious harm to people or objects in its path. Better safe than sorry.
8 Garage Door Cables Snapped
Pay special attention to your garage door’s cables – they are the component that controls your door. If these cables become damaged or snapped from the drums, your door could stop moving entirely, or fail to open or close fully. Look carefully at the cables on both sides and check whether the cables are broken. Bear in mind, that these components handle a lot of tension to lift the door, so, if you are not comfortable tackling this problem yourself, it’s a good idea to get a skilled technician to do it.
Bonus feature: Liftmaster garage door not closing
If your Liftmaster door opener blinks 10 times, it is an error code that you have misaligned photo eyes, defective safety sensors, or faulty sensor wiring.
After all the diagnosis, if you still can’t close your garage door contact Motion Garage Doors for more information.
