4 Simple Reasons to Garage Door's Most Common Problems

Admit it: Your garage door is most likely an afterthought. You open it, drive out, close it, and never once give any thought to whether or not it'll work when you return home. Until it doesn't.

If you're stuck outside and your garage refuses to completely open, you might be left wondering what the problem is. Below are some very simple reasons why you're experiencing the most basic issues that plague garage doors.

1. The Garage Door Closes Most of the Way, But Not Completely

The simplest reason for your garage door not closing all the way is the limit switch on your opener not being set right. When you installed it (or ask a professional to handle it), you most likely set the close limit switch. Although not very common, that can partially reset at various points; all you have to do is manually reset it so that it stops at the appropriate height. The same situation applies if your garage door won't open all the way. It could be that the limit switch for the open setting isn't set appropriately. Another possibility? The rollers are bad, which means that your garage door will stop when it thinks it's all the way down when it might be several inches above the ground.

2. The Garage Door Isn't Working at All

Before you panic, check the power source to make sure it's plugged in. It sounds like a no-brainer, but everyday garage activities like woodworking or moving Christmas boxes around the area can unintentionally dislodge the power cord, rendering your door useless. Check to make sure it's plugged in; if it is, check that all the connections are still intact too.

3. The Garage Door Goes Some of the Way, Then Reverses

Most modern garage doors have a safety mechanism that reverses the door if it senses an obstruction of any sort in its path. Generally, this is a piece of wood or some kind of home utensil that got kicked in the path, but the sensors are very sensitive, which means it could be a piece of grass that's fluttering in front of the sensor. If it goes part of the way and not all of it, the rollers could also be to blame for this, since it will detect friction and reverse course.

If you're dealing with any of these issues, you're not alone. Consider working with garage door contractors to diagnose the issues so you can regularly use your garage door again.