5 Reasons Your Garage Door Might Not Be Opening
ShareYour garage door is the gateway to your garage. Due to it's many different working parts, every now and again you're going to have a bit of trouble with it opening. Garage doors tend to be a bit finicky in some regards. You might be asking yourself, "What could be causing my garage door to stick? Why won't the darn thing open?" Well, throughout the course of this brief article, you'll learn 5 possible reasons why it's not opening.
The Track Is Misaligned
One of the most important elements of a sliding garage door is the track. The track is the large, slatted aluminum element that you will see alongside either side of the door, as well as above it, and connected to your ceiling. The door slides along this track, allowing it to move up and down. Occasionally, the door will become misaligned from the track; it may even pop out. These cases are usually a quick fix: simply make sure that the door is level and is properly fitted on the track.
The Garage Door Is Locked
Everyone forgets things from time to time. If you find that your garage door is notoriously difficult to budge, and this especially applies if the doorknob on the garage door is refusing to twist, then you very well may have locked the door. Although you probably don't need guidance on how to unlock a garage door, here it is anyway: many garage doors require a key to lock and unlock and can only be unlocked from the outside on the knob.
Your Safety Censors Are Misaligned
This is a problem that you will only notice if you have an electronic garage door opener. You may be familiar with safety censors on electronic garage doors: they're placed on either side of the door on the lower edges. They are an electronic device that detects movements, so that if an individual or animal is underneath the path of the closing garage door, it will not close. Occasionally, these become misaligned and will cause the garage door to go up and down, never fully closing. In these cases, it is best to call in a professional to realign the censors.
The Door Springs Are Worn Or Snapped
Garage door springs have a tendency to become worn or snapped. In cases where your garage door will simply not open or close all of the way, or if you feel that when the garage door opens, it opens "loosely" or quickly snaps open, the garage door springs may be worn or even snapped. Depending on the type of springs you have, they may be located above the garage door, or on the sides; they are usually housed in metal tubing. If you find them to be worn or snapped, consult your local hardware store for information on replacement and installation.
The Electronics Are Malfunctioning
If you find that your garage door is refusing to open when the electronic garage door opener is activated, but is able to be opened by your own force, the chances are that your problem is related to the electronics of the garage door opener malfunctioning. In these cases, you should consult your warranty, if you have one, or contact a local professional about repairing or replacing the device.
There are a variety of reasons that your garage door might not be opening. Hopefully, this brief article has given you some insight into what that problem might be. If the problem is something you can't figure out or fix on your own, you can contact local garage door company. Visit http://www.shankdoor.com to learn more about available garage services in your area.