As homeowners, we tend to take our garage doors and garage door openers for granted. We expect them to work on-demand and they do — most of the time. But sometimes garage doors and garage door openers can be sources of frustration, like when a garage door won’t fully open. Obviously, this doesn’t help you much when you need to get your car out of the garage to get to work or get your kids to school.
When your garage door is not opening all the way, there’s typically a simple explanation. Here’s a look at what the problem might be when a garage door will not open all the way.
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Safety First
First, a warning: Before doing any sort of troubleshooting on your garage door or garage door opener, make sure you’re taking the proper safety measures. Garage doors are under a massive amount of tension, which is what allows them to open and close easily. But when something’s wrong, that tension can pose a safety threat to homeowners trying to make repairs on their own.
Always follow the guidance included in your garage door and garage door opener instruction manuals. And don’t be afraid to call on a professional for maintenance and repair support as what you think may be a simple fix becomes something more intensive.
Test the Door’s Balance
Perhaps the greatest cause of a garage door that will not open all the way up is a lack of balance. Test your door’s balance by disconnecting it from the automatic opener. The door should raise and lower easily by hand. Pull your garage door so it’s about halfway open. It should hang in balance, supported by the garage door springs, or it should gently rise up or lower down. If your garage door slams shut, that’s a strong sign it needs rebalancing.
Balancing a garage door is a job for a professional, so make sure you call a local garage door pro to assist if you’re experiencing balance issues.
Adjust the Travel and Force Limits
If your balance looks good but your garage door will close but not open or open but not close, it’s time to look at your travel and force limits. Basically, every garage door comes with built-in safety features that should be optimized at installation.
Travel and force limits are safety features that tell your garage door how far it should expect to travel and with what force it should expect to open and close. If these limits fall out of alignment over time, your garage door may mistakenly think something is wrong and engage in auto-reverse to prevent damage or threats to safety. Consult your garage door opener’s instruction manual for more information on how to adjust your settings and limits.
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Get Professional Support From Banko
When a garage door won’t open all the way, finding the solution isn’t always easy. If you’re struggling to fix the problem at your home, we’re here to help. At Banko Overhead Doors, we’ve been serving the Tampa Bay area and surrounding communities since 1984. One of our in-house employed, full-service technicians can visit your home, diagnose the problems and provide the solution quickly.
Contact us today to schedule a service appointment for your home.