While having a garage door that is still operating is nice to have, if your garage door isn’t closing all the way, you’re losing the security that your garage door is supposed to provide.
We’ll cover a few reasons why your garage door might not be closing all the way and signs to look at when trying to diagnose the problem that might be outside the normal garage door issues you could experience. These might not be all of the reasons but hopefully it’ll give you a place to start when looking and if you can’t figure it out, reach out and we’ll help diagnose (and fix) the problem causing your door to not close.
Garage Door Sensors Are Obstructed or Malfunctioning
First thing to look at if your garage door isn’t closing all the way is the sensors. Might seem obvious but sometimes the smallest thing might be catching these sensors and not allowing the door to fully close.
Now assuming that everything is clear, this doesn’t mean the sensor isn’t the problem. If one or both of the sensors aren’t receiving power or emitting their signal properly your garage door likely won’t close all the way. You can look to see if there is any small fix to help with these two things but they are a bit more technical.
Tracks are Misaligned
Even the smallest bend, dent, or misalignment with your garage door tracks can stop it from closing properly. These are of course what guide your garage door up and down so if you have an issue on either side, you might need to get them fixed.
While an option might be trying to hammer the dent out or fix them yourself, we highly recommend NOT doing this. The more you try to fix the issue with a “simple solution” the more damage can be caused and your door might not open or close at all if more track damage happens.
Worn-Out or Damaged Rollers
While looking at the tracks, you can also check your garage door rollers. At times, these can either be extremely worn-out causing them to not roll freely or if they are damaged in anyway, it causes the door to not roll on the tracks the way it should.
These small rollers play a big part in how your garage door operates so it’s important to have clean and working rollers. The more you let a somewhat damaged roller go along the tracks, the more damage you’ll likely cause to the tracks as well and you’ll need to get them both fixed instead of just a small roller.
Loose or Broken Cables
If you’re wondering what helps lift and lower your garage door, it’s the cables. These are what “pull” your garage door up and down, allowing for a smooth open and close. Over time these cables can become very worn out causing them to fray, become loose, and ultimately break completely.
Without these cables, your door just won’t work. If they are frayed or loose, the operation of your door is certainly going to be compromised and could be the reason your door isn’t closing all the way.
Springs are Damaged or Worn-Out
We’ve talked about the garage door springs and how to notice if they need to be replaced but this could certainly be one of the reasons your garage door isn’t closing all the way. These springs help counterbalance the garage door, which is pretty heavy.
If you choose to skip replacing or repairing your garage door springs, not only could you garage door not close all the way, the more you use it, the more damage you’re causing to the springs, the cables, and the motor. All things that you don’t want to completely go out.
Electrical Problems
Now this could be a wide variety of issues. We already mentioned the sensors and how this could be the cause but there are two other electrical aspects that might be the issue.
The first one being your garage door opener. If you opener is malfunctioning, well it’s probably causing issues with the door opening and closing correctly. It might be a simple fix but at times, there are more issues than just replaced batteries.
The other electrical aspect is the motor. The motor is a very important piece to the garage door closing all the way and overall, operating as it should. Whether it’s because your motor has been working overdrive due to other issues or it’s just old, replacing this is something you shouldn’t do on your own. If you install a new motor incorrectly, just like many other issues, it’ll cause more problems with other parts of your garage door and lead to more needed repairs.
Now these aren’t the only causes of a garage door not closing all the way but they are some of the more popular ones. You’ll want to give a quick look at all of these areas on your garage door to see if you can spot the issue.
If you can’t spot the potential cause or have and need help with repairs, we’re here to help. We’ve assisted many residents fix their garage door, making sure it closes all the way, and get back the security to their garage that they deserve.