Different things to try when your garage door is stuck

It might seem like a long time ago now and many of us take it for granted but remember when you first got a garage door opener? It was kind of like the freedom of having your first bicycle or getting your driver’s license, when your life changed with a pedal stroke or the turn of a key. Now with the push of a button you can drive right in and out of your garage without (gasp!) opening the door by hand.

But yesterday you came home from work and the door opened part way and then stopped. Uh-oh. No amount of button-pushing solved the problem and suddenly the enjoyment of having a door opener has lost its luster. The fact is that even with diligent upkeep, garage doors will eventually hit a snag as they age. Fortunately there are steps available to take stock of the situation and apply a solution to “unstick” your door.

Play it safe

When it comes to garage door repair and maintenance, safety cannot be overstated. Indeed, before attempting a repair, ensure every safety precaution is taken to avoid serious injury or additional damage. Garage doors are heavy, weighing hundreds of pounds, and the torsion springs are loaded with tremendous coiled energy. Before you do anything, turn the garage door opener off and unplug it. If you are able, manually close the door so it doesn’t come crashing down. Always remember that if you can’t fix the door problem yourself, call in a pro.

With safety in mind, let’s look at some common culprits of stuck garage doors and what to do about it:

Obstruction in the track

Your garage door operates via the torsion springs and rollers pulling or pushing the door along tracks. Naturally if a foreign object is lodged in the tracks, the rollers can’t maintain their course and the door can get stuck. Check all along the tracks for impediments and remove them.

Door is off the track

It is possible for garage door rollers to jump the tracks like a runaway train and this could be causing your stuck door. This is easy to spot with a quick visual inspection. Carefully realign the offending rollers with the track if possible, or call for service.

Broken spring

A broken spring means your door won’t work. Torsion springs last about 10,000 open and close cycles and if one of yours has failed, immediately enlist professional help.

For more information on managing garage door issues, contact the team at DB Garage Doors at (503) 553-9933 or dbgaragedoors.com.