Many homeowners take their garage doors and the openers that go with them for granted. It is expected that these doors will operate on demand at all times. In most cases, they work as expected, but they can be a source of great frustration when they do not fully open. You obviously can’t get the car out of the garage if the garage door isn’t fully open.
In general, when a garage door does not fully open, there is usually a simple solution. We’ll look at what’s causing the issue and how to fix it below.
Before you begin troubleshooting the garage door opener or the door, you must first take the proper precautions. Most garage doors are heavy and put a lot of strain on their associated springs. When something is wrong with the door, that tension can become a safety hazard, especially for someone who is unfamiliar with these types of repairs.
You should always follow the instructions in the manual that came with your garage door opener and door. However, if you’ve never worked on a garage door before or aren’t comfortable with such repairs, it’s best to call a professional who can quickly diagnose and repair the problem.
The most common reason for a garage door not fully opening is that it is unbalanced. You should begin by testing the door’s balance, which can be accomplished by disconnecting the door from the opener. By hand, the door should be lowered and raised quickly. Pull the garage door open until it is roughly 50% open. It should be hanging by its springs at this point, or it should gently rise up or even lower. If the door slams shut, it means it needs to be rebalanced.
Rebalancing is a professional’s job and should not be attempted on your own. Once balanced, the garage door should operate normally.
If the balance is correct but the garage door closes but does not fully open, or opens but does not close, the force and travel limits must be checked. Each garage door has its own set of safety features that must be optimized during installation. The limits determine how far the garage door can travel and how much force is required to open and close it. If the limits are incorrect, the garage door may believe something is wrong and activate the auto-reverse feature, which can be harmful to the door.
It is difficult to solve this problem on your own. However, you should follow the steps outlined in the garage door opener’s instruction manual. If that fails, you should consider hiring a professional. Dealing with garage door maintenance and repair issues can be a breeze when using the team at Nabors Garage Doors. Contact us now for more information on the services we offer and the areas we serve.