Here’s our step-by-step approach in identifying the source of the problem:

1. Safety first always!

• Remove potential hazards: Before you do anything, make sure there are no cars parked inside the garage or other people/children that can get injured. Safety glasses, hard hats, gloves and steel toe boots should be worn as well
• Disconnect all power sources: Unplug any garage door opener that may still be attached to your door to prevent any accidents.
• Open the door manually (If you can safely!): While your garage door is in its closed position, if you can, safely disconnect the opener from the door and see if you can open the door with ease. If the door is heavy or something doesn’t feel right, stop immediately and call a professional.

2. Inspect the problem visually.

(We need to inspect the torsion spring above the door as well as the rollers, tracks, and cables at the left and right side of your garage door.)

• Rollers & Tracks: Inspect your wheels for wear and tear or damage. The tracks can have bends or obstructions, check for that as well.
• Cables: Frayed, snapped or broken garage door cables are also a very common issue, visually inspect your cables if you can do so safely.
• Garage Door Torsion Springs: Broken garage door springs are a common issue. Visually inspect the torsion spring assembly above your garage door and see if your spring is broken.

Here’s an example of a garage door with loose cables, damaged tracks and broken rollers/wheels.

If your garage door won’t open or close properly when you press the garage door opener button, or if you try and manually pull open the door, you should visually inspect the tracks, cables, and rollers on both sides of the door.

(Note: DO NOT put your hand or fingers near any of these parts, especially between the tracks and the door near where your cables should be!), the track should be straight and not misaligned, your rollers/wheels should roll smoothly and without dragging or screeching, and your cables should be attached and under tension without being frayed or damaged.

3. Check the Garage Door Opener

• Safety Sensors: Ensure the garage door safety sensors are aligned and there’s no foreign objects obstructing them. Your safety sensors should always be showing a sending and a receiving light. if there’s an obstruction or damage, one or both lights will be off.
• Batteries: Check the batteries on your garage door remotes and keypads to make sure you have power.

4. Test the Wall Button

• If your garage door is unresponsive, try pressing the button on the wall and see what happens. Make sure your power cable is plugged in when you do this and that there are no cars parked inside the garage.

5. Obstructions and Weather Seals

• Weather Stripping: Check if the weather seal on the perimeter of the door, as well as the rubber at the bottom is damaged. This could hinder the movement of your door.

Common Problems and Their Solutions:

• Broken Torsion Springs & Cables: You’ll want to contact a professional for this type of work as these parts carry a lot of weight under tensions, are unstable and very dangerous
• Automatic Opener Issue: Check your power sources and wiring. If there are no issues with these, then it may be mechanical.
• Damaged Tracks: Your garage door vertical or horizontal tracks may need an adjustment. Adjusting this on your own without a professionals help could be risky.
• Safety Sensor Issues: Try adjusting and re-aligning your safety sensors and cleaning the lenses if you can safely.

When all else fails, or if you’re unsure about something, call a professional for free advice!