The 411 on Common Garage Door Mishaps and Emergencies

Garage Door Won’t Open

A garage door that won’t open is one that could impact your schedule severely. Several different things might cause a garage door to not respond to commands to open. An expired battery in the opener, a power outage, and a disconnected trolley are all possible culprits. In many cases, you can open the door manually using the emergency pull or lift the garage door up from the outside once you disconnect it.

However, this solution is only temporary. You can replace the batteries in your garage door opener, but any other issue requires the experience of a professional. They can investigate every aspect of the opener, motor, and tracks to identify the issue. In the most severe cases, parts like torsion springs might be damaged and will require replacing, which is a job you certainly don’t want to attempt yourself. Torsion springs counterbalance the weight of the door, and when they break the garage door opener has undue stress on all of its components. If there was only one spring on the garage door and it has broken, the door won’t open at all because the motor on the ceiling isn’t built to lift the garage door, rather it is designed to guide the garage door as the springs do the lifting and lowering.

Garage Door Won’t Stay Closed

Most people use their garages as storage spaces as well as a place to keep their cars. So when you close your garage door only for it to automatically open again on its own, this issue presents a problem to the security of your vehicles and belongings.

A door that won’t stay closed might have a solution as simple as cleaning the photo eye. This is a safety sensor near the floor on the garage door’s track that detects movement and will tell the garage motor to stop lowering the door if it senses any movement while lowering. The intent is to prevent any accidents, such as the door lowering on children or pets or trapping any items underneath its weight.

If the photo eye sensor gets impaired with dirt, it might stop working, in which case it will err on the side of caution and lift the door automatically. However, this issue could just as well be the fault of issues with the track, which will require professional adjustment.

Garage Door Comes Off the Track

The track of a garage door guides its movement and ensures smooth function. If your garage door has left its track, it simply won’t work. If it still works but makes loud screeching or grinding sounds, then this might be a sign that the track is out of alignment and the door might leave the track soon. A professional can realign your door on the tracks or even replace them if the tracks are too dented or bent to fix.

Garage Suffers a Collision

The worst of garage door mishaps is often a collision. Big or small, your garage door will be affected. Worst case scenario, your garage will be beyond repair and need replacement. Dents near the joining of the panels turn into creases, which turn into cracks due to fatigue. Split panels are extremely dangerous because they fold and fall out of the tracks while the door is in the open position. Minor dents may be cosmetic, but if the top or bottom edges have dents, the panels will need to either be reinforced or replaced. If you want better security and added home value, a replacement will be the best way forward.

Reach out to a professional company for help in any difficult garage door situation. Plano Overhead Garage Door offers service, repairs, and new garage doors. Visit our website for more information.

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