What to Investigate When a Garage Door Won’t Close or Won’t Remain Closed

The consistent performance of a garage door opener can be so reliable that homeowners may not give it a second thought once they push the button on their key-ring or visor-clip remote control.  In fact, many homeowners might even drive away without looking back to confirm that the garage door actually did close properly.

However, just about the time that total complacency has set in with that trusty garage door opener, the law of averages comes into play – and the garage door won’t close; the door either will not move at all or closes part-way then immediately reverses to the open position.  This in itself can be frustrating for the homeowner-family, and can also be very disconcerting if the situation goes undetected; there can be a number of consequences to such a door opener failure, and none are particularly positive:

• Contents of the garage are left exposed to potential theft
• Access to the home by unwanted intruders may be facilitated
• The garage may become the new home for rodents/small mammals
• Safety of family members and pets may be compromised/at risk

When an automatic door opener does not/will not close the garage door completely and tightly, it can be due to one or more of the following reasons/circumstances:

• Photo-eye lens or lenses might be blocked or dirty
• One or both of the photo eyes are out of alignment
• Batteries in the remote have failed (common reason)
• The open-and-close travel limits/settings are incorrect
• Manual safety release has been accidentally disconnected
• Door/rollers are striking objects on the ground/in the tracks
• Issues re: wiring, frequency, or interference with a transmitter

In many of the above instances, homeowners may be able to diagnose and rectify the problem without the need for a professional garage door repair service.  Such steps may include:

• Testing/replacing batteries in the remotes
• Cleaning the surfaces of the photo-eye lenses
• Removing items/debris from the path of the door
• Reattaching the disconnect mechanism accordingly
• Cleaning the tracking and removing any obstructions

However, if homeowners cannot identify the source of the problem, or they suspect that there may be an additional issue with/damage to the door opener or to the garage door itself, they may choose to call a garage door repair provider, such as Markham Garage Doors, to investigate and remedy the situation.

Award-Winning Garage Door Repair Service within Toronto and the GTA

Sometimes, the issue of a malfunctioning garage door opener may not be related to the actual device but due to broken/damaged door parts or to a problem with the door itself.

There are several factors that can result in a garage door opener failing to open or close the garage door as customarily anticipated by a homeowner.  The most common sources of such frustration would include:

• A broken garage door spring
• Broken/loose garage door cable
• Damaged/bent rollers or tracking
• Out-of-balance garage door weight
• Electrical panel or wiring-related issues

For these types of situations, homeowners would be well advised to immediately contact a professional garage door repair provider, such as Markham Garage Doors, rather than attempting any do-it-yourself garage door repairs. There can be potential safety risks involved when performing the necessary repairs in these cases, especially in relation to working with:

• Springs and/or cables under high tension
• Heavy and/or dead-weight garage doors
• Electrical power sources feeds, and wiring

The trained technicians from Markham Garage Doors are fully skilled and experienced in all facets of garage door repairs, and their award-winning expertise has been recognized in Markham Garage Doors being rating as the number one garage door repair service in Toronto and the GTA.

If you are experiencing any issues with your garage door opener or your garage door simply won’t close or won’t remain closed, call the specialists at Markham Garage Doors today at (905) 472-9178 or (416) 570-3667 to schedule a service visit from one of our skilled technicians at your earliest convenience.