How to fix a garage door that will not close

Imagine that it’s Monday morning. You overslept, and you are late for work. You dress, eat breakfast, and complete your morning routine at the speed of light, and before you know it, you are entering your car. It starts, and you’re about to be on your way to work, when you suddenly look back, just to make sure everything is okay.

But it isn’t – the garage door is not closing completely, as it should. That’s it, you can’t go to work, because your garage contains some valuable items that you wouldn’t want someone to steal. You call your boss and go back inside. Well, since you’re not working, you might as well fix the issue, right?

Sure, you might call a repair service. However, usually, the problem is not as severe, and you can quickly fix it yourself. And there are plenty of ways to do it, as there are several things that can cause the garage not to close correctly. To find out how you can fix a garage door that just won’t close, keep on reading…

When the Garage Opener Will Not Work

As a rule of thumb, the first thing to check when your door doesn’t work is the garage opener. Often, the case may be that you need to replace the batteries or that your remote isn’t working correctly. Doing that should prevent you from starting expensive and unnecessary repairs. 

However, the issue can be more severe. Often, the reason for your opener’s malfunctions are cables that have become loose or broken. If you notice this, you should call a specialist, but you can do it pretty quickly yourself. If you decide to do this, keep in mind that you need to keep the cable’s proper tension, so it doesn’t snap and cause injury.

Of course, it all depends on your opener. The repair process will be different whether you own the Linear or Craftsman door opener. 

When the Garage Door Will Not Shut Even Halfway

If the garage door is not shutting completely, the most likely explanation for this is that the springs are either too weak or broken. It is important to know that garage doors have three different springs: one for lifting the door, one for lowering it, and one in between.

The first two are usually the ones that wear out, but if you find out that the middle one is broken, then you are about to have a real hard day ahead of you. In this case, you should contact a repair specialist without wasting any time.

If you still want to fix the issue yourself, you’ll most likely have to purchase new springs. However, these are expensive parts, so you might consider replacing them with a hydraulic motor. You can get spare parts from the manufacturer, or online, and there are plenty of instructions available online that will help you do this repair job from start to finish.

When the Garage Door Does Not Stay Shut

A bent cable drum often causes this issue. You can try to straighten it out, but if you don’t have enough experience, it would be best to call a garage door repair service for help. Otherwise, the cable might get damaged again and you will have to repeat the whole process.

Another thing that might cause this problem is a misaligned trolley. That’s why your garage door won’t stay closed is usually because it is not linked correctly to the trolley. The easiest way to solve this issue is by loosening up the screws and readjusting the trolley into place.

But, remember that if the spring has lost its strength due to age and usage, you will have to replace it with a new one as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will keep pulling the trolley off the track, causing even more damage.

When You Have No Power to Close It Manually

If your garage door won’t stay closed even if you try to close it manually, then most likely one of two things has happened. The most common one is that one of the pulleys needs replacement. These parts suffer from constant stress during everyday use, and they tend to break easily.

You should check is whether there’s enough power for you to close it manually. If yes, then this means that there’s an issue with the electric mechanism. Therefore, you need to buy a new motor and install it. However, keep in mind that you should contact a repair service if you aren’t entirely sure how to do that. 

When It Will Not Open

This issue is often caused by an electric motor or a spring fatigue. The first thing you should do is check all of the wires and see if any of them are broken or frayed. If so, then you’ll have to replace them as soon as possible.

Another reason for which your garage door won’t open might be because it has been struck with something heavy and too solid for it to endure. In such cases, the only solution is by replacing the damaged part or by calling for a professional help. It’s also worth knowing that if an accident happens in your garage, then there’s a chance that your insurance will cover most of the expenses required to fix your garage door.

The Bottom Line

Your garage door is exposed to wear and tear more than any other of your home features. As such, it’s natural that you may encounter many issues when using it. However, even though they might seem severe, garage door problems are usually pretty easy to handle.

Things like broken remote or spring, are easy to repair, even if you’re not a die-hard DIYer. Of course, it’s always best to contact a professional service first. Just to make sure that the issue is what you think it is. 

However, if the problem is more severe, you shouldn’t try to repair it yourself. Doing that may make things even worse, forcing you to spend money on more expensive repairs. But if you believe you can deal with the issue, feel free to use our tips and deal with it yourself.