If your garage door won’t open or close all the way, you can try these simple fixes.
- Check the safety eyes on your garage door opener. If they’re broken or missing, it could be preventing the door from closing all the way.
- The hinges on your garage door might be loose or damaged. Inspect and tighten them as needed to make sure they’re secure.
- Your track might need some lubrication or adjustment. Try spraying a little WD-40 on the tracks and see if that helps get your door moving again. If not, contact a professional for assistance with this type of repair.
How to Fix a Garage Door That Won’t Open or Close
You can repair or replace your garage door yourself. You’ll have to remove the old door and install the new one. The process isn’t complicated, but it does require some strength and skill. Read on for tips on how to repair your garage door and get back on schedule.
Step 1: Remove the Old Door
To begin, you need to remove the old door from its tracks. To do so, turn off the power at your home’s circuit breaker panel, then use a screwdriver to unscrew the two bolts at the bottom of each hinge that holds the panel in place. The panel should now be loose enough for you to lift it off its tracks with your hands. Place it against a wall so that it doesn’t obstruct any traffic in your garage and make sure that no one is standing beneath it when you’re removing it.
If your garage door only opens part way, it’s a good idea to have the door checked.
- The most common causes are:
- A bad spring or screw
- A broken cable
- A bent track
- A problem with the opener
Here’s how to determine which of these problems is causing your problem:
- Check the torsion spring. If one end of the spring is loose or missing, it won’t be able to lift the door when you press the button on your remote control or use the wall switch. If you can’t find the missing end of a broken torsion spring, buy a new one and install it properly. Then check to see if the door still doesn’t open all the way. If it does, then move on to step 2. If not, then go back and check step 1 again because there may still be something wrong with your springs that we haven’t found yet.
- Check all cables for damage, fraying or kinks in them that would prevent them from pulling up and down smoothly along their tracks. Replace any damaged cables and test again to see if this fixed your garage door problem (it should).
