8 Reasons Why Your Garage Door Won't Close

If you’re gnashing your teeth and wondering “Why won’t my garage door stay closed?” then you’re not alone. This is an extremely obnoxious issue for many folks, who just want to come home, close their garage door behind them, and relax. Is that really too much to ask?

Sadly, yes … sometimes it is. The good news, however, is that garage door trouble is a diagnosable problem with fairly simple solutions. If you want solutions to make your garage door stay closed, you’ve come to the right place.

Today, let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons why garage doors won’t stay closed, how to troubleshoot the issue, and when you need professional help. We will also discuss the role of preventative maintenance in keeping your garage door in good working order.

Common Reasons Why Garage Doors Won't Close

Few things in life are more infuriating than trying to accomplish a formerly simple procedure – closing a door – and finding it impossible. (Unless it’s trying to open a door, only to have it slam shut over and over again.) While it might feel personal, though, there exist any number of fairly mundane reasons why a garage door won’t stay closed.

1. Incorrect Travel Limits

The travel limit settings tell your garage door how far to go (travel) when opening and closing. If they have gotten messed up, then your garage door may think it’s going all the way to the ground when in reality it is stopping short.

2. Dead Batteries

This is more common than you’d think. If your batteries are running low, it can cause your opener to glitch out, so that the door doesn’t close all the way. When the batteries die, the system may become totally inoperative.

3. Misaligned Sensors

Your door also uses sensors to figure out how far it needs to travel. If they are inaccurately positioned or have been knocked out of alignment, the garage won’t have the correct information about where it’s supposed to go.

4. Sensor Obstructions

Similarly, if those sensors get dirty or an object is blocking their view, they won’t be able to send the proper information to the door opener, and it might not close (or open) all the way.

5. Broken Springs

When springs get broken or damaged, your garage door loses the necessary tension to help it open and close properly. If either the torsion springs or side-mount springs are malfunctioning, then the door is able to open or close properly.

6. Track Obstructions

The door moves up and down on wheels slotted into tracks. If an object becomes jammed in the tracks, the door is designed to stop immediately. The same goes for objects on the ground. This is a basic safety feature.

7. Cable Damage

In garage doors that use cables, they do the heavy lifting. If one gets damaged, the other will experience oversized force, causing the door overall to behave strangely. It will often get stuck at an angle and stop working.

8. Loose Chain

If your garage door uses a chain drive, then the proper functioning of the chain is integral to its opening and closing properly. If the chain goes slack, then the garage door opener won’t have the power to open and close the way it’s supposed to.

Ideally, you can fix these problems yourself. Let’s take a look.

How to Troubleshoot Your Garage Door

If you want to get your garage door to stay closed without paying an expert, you can try the following:

Check the Tracks

One of the easiest fixes is to clean out obstructions in the tracks or along the floor, so start there.

Check the Batteries

Next, make sure all your batteries are working. Change the ones in the remote to see if it makes a difference. Then check your opener’s battery to see if it is displaying a message or making a low battery sound. Many have backup batteries, so try taking the main battery out of the opener to see if that fixes the problem.

Look Over the System

If you are mechanically minded, you can check over the rest of the system for proper spring, chain, or cable tension. You can also reset the sensors and garage door opener travel limits. However, these skills are beyond many laypeople, in which case, you likely need professional help.

Signs You Need Professional Help with Your Garage Door

If you’re unable to get your garage door to stay closed after the above troubleshooting tips, or if it simply becomes frozen, you probably need professional help. Signs include:

• Battery replacement makes no difference
• You cannot find any obstructions
• The sensors are all clean
• The door appears to be in good working order
• It opens and closes, but only erratically
• The door makes odd noises, even if it is still opening most of the time

The last point is especially important. Even if your garage door is mostly functional, it is critical to have regular maintenance to prevent much greater expense later on.

Preventative Maintenance Tips

One of the best ways to help a garage door stay closed is to engage in good preventative maintenance. The best way to make your garage door stay closed is to keep all its parts in good working order, even if it’s not currently acting up. That includes:

• Regularly cleaning the sensors and checking for obstructions
• Replacing the batteries at recommended intervals
• Scheduling maintenance personnel to look over the garage door regularly
• Getting help as soon as your door starts acting up to prevent a worsening of the problem

Need someone on your side when it comes to preventative maintenance? That’s what Uplift Garage is here for. We’re a full-service garage door repair and installation company, and we would be happy to help you with maintaining, repairing, or replacing your garage door and opener.

If you’re in the Chicagoland area, give us a call at 630-448-1079 or fill out the form at the bottom of our website. We look forward to serving you … and your garage too!