A rolling garage door is a great addition to your home. It protects your car from weather and the elements, while providing an easy way for you to come and go. Most people rely so much on their garage doors that it can be a major inconvenience when one quits working. There are several possible causes for garage door issues. With a few troubleshooting tips, you can hopefully identify the problem without having to invest in any serious repairs.

Trouble Opening the Garage Door

Some issues with the garage door may cause it not to open at all when you push the opening button. This can have a few different causes. The easiest place to start looking is the power source. Though this may seem like an obvious answer, it can often get overlooked. Start by checking the batteries in the wall unit for your garage door. Then if you have a remote opener, make sure it is powered up as well.

If all batteries and electricity are functioning properly, it is time to check the mechanism of your garage door. A frequent occurrence that prevents a garage door from opening is the overhead latch comes undone. The overhead latch is a handle that connects the actual door to the track on the ceiling of your garage. It will have a handle and string attached to it. If the garage door shows no movement when you push the opening button, pull the handle on the string to release this latch. Next, you can try opening the door again and allowing the latch to reattach to the door. This will get the mechanism connected once again.

Garage Door Closes Incompletely

Another common problem is a garage door that closes halfway then pops open again. The first thing to check is the path where the garage door lines up with the floor. Garage doors are equipped with sensors that prevent them from closes on top of something. If you garage door is only closing halfway, make sure that no debris or object is obstructing the sensor. Many times moving something out of the way will restore proper function to the door.

If nothing is blocking the garage door, you can check the alignment of the track and the photo eye. The track holds the door in place on either side of the garage. It is important for each side to stay aligned to prevent bending or warping of the door. If these sides come out of alignment, it will impair the door's movement. Check and make sure they are both facing forward and are lined up straight.

Finally, you can adjust the door's photo eye. This is a part of the track that projects a beam. The beams of each photo eye must match up to ensure the door is properly aligned. If the photo eyes are disrupted, the beams can become unbalanced. Try gently adjusting the photo eye to get the two beams synchronized once again.

Many times, garage door issues can be easy to fix. If you run through a list of simple checks, you may be able to have it working again in no time. If you need help, contact a company like Hunter Valley Garage Doors.