Garage doors are placed so that the garage, the home as well as the things inside the garage are safe, while also adding to the aesthetics of the house. One of the biggest issues people face is when their garage doors malfunction and don’t close all the way. This is when we, the professionals get calls such as “why won’t my garage door close all the way down?”
There are a lot of reasons why your garage door might not close all the way down. First, the sensors of the door might be damaged or misaligned.
You may also have set the travel distance too short for the door to fully close. The tracks and rollers of the door might also be damaged among other reasons.
Let’s take a detailed look at why your garage door won’t fully close.
Reasons garage door won’t close all the way down
But from time to time, the door faces some issues, among which, the door not closing fully one of the major ones. There are plenty of reasons why a garage door won’t close all the way. They are:
1. Faulty motion sensors
The motion sensors installed in the garage doors are there to detect if anything is in the way of the door when it closes. Thes sensors have been placed to ensure safety since a lot of times things or children get under a closing garage door which causes damage to the things and severe injuries to the children.
But when a motion sensor is faulty, it can pick up things underneath the closing door even if there is nothing there. This will prevent the door from closing all the way, keeping it partially open.
2. If there is indeed something under the door
Sometimes the sensor is not at fault when your door is not closing all the way. It’s because they are working perfectly that your garage door is partially open.
Check for any bricks, stones, or anything under the door that you might have missed at first. These objects can trigger the sensors and keep the garage door partially open.
3. Tracks and rollers are damaged
Garage door tracks are placed to make sure the doors can move freely. The rollers are also placed to ensure the same things.
If either of these is damaged, the door will not close all the way down. Check for breaks, bends, or other damages to see what is causing the problem.
4. Misaligned Sensors
Sometimes the sensors on the sides of the garage door are not aligned with each other properly. As a result, they can’t see each other properly and pick up different objects even if they aren’t there. This is another cause for your garage door not closing all the way.
5. Travel distance is too short
Some garage doors have a customizable travel distance in them. You can set the travel distance to set how much they have to travel to be closed fully. If you set the travel distance shorter than the height of the door, the door will travel less amount and will stop closing before hitting the floor.
6. Damaged springs
Springs are essential for a garage door to keep working. These keep the garage door open or closed, keeping them in their intended place. If the springs of garage door are broken or damaged, they will become one of the reasons why the garage door doesn’t fully close.
7. Faulty remote
If your garage door does not go all the way down and it happens to be operated by a remote, there is a high chance that the remote’s batteries are dead. Check the batteries of the remote and change them if necessary. If the batteries are not dead and yet the remote is not working, then replace it with a new one.
8. Damaged Cables
Another major reason why your garage door won’t close completely is that the cables that help the door to open and close are damaged. Most of the time, these cables are worn out due to use and need replacing after a certain amount of time.
How to fix a garage door that won’t close
Fixing a partially open garage door is equally or more important than finding out the reasons it is kept open. Here are a few ways you can fix a door that won’t close fully:
- Check if something is blocking the door: Sometimes the easiest of solutions are those which we don’t consider. Before getting to any technical stuff, see if something is closing the path of your garage door. If there is something, remove it and see if the door closes all the way through.
- Check and align the sensors: If nothing is blocking the door’s p[athy but it will still not close fully, then check the sensors. Clean them to maximize their functionality and see if they are properly aligned. If not, then align them properly, or for damaged sensors, replace them.
- Set an appropriate travel distance: If you see that the travel distance you had previously set is too short, reset it again after measuring the height of your garage door, so that it won’t stop halfway down.
- Check the tracks, rollers, trolleys, cables, and springs: Check the garage door tracks and rollers to see if there is any visible damage to them. If so, call a professional garage door repair service to fix or replace these tracks and rollers.
Similarly, inspect the garage door to see if there are any damaged trolleys and broken springs. If so, make arrangements to replace them. Do the same if there are any worn-out cables. You can also learn from our experts about the garage door won’t open after power outage.
Final Words
As your home’s security as well as the curb appeal is associated with a fully functional garage door, it’s only natural to ask “Why won’t my garage door close all the way down?” when you see your garage door isn’t closing fully. Inspect the door for potential issues and solve them ASAP to ensure the door is closing all the way.
FAQ
1. Why won’t my garage door close all the way when it’s cold?
It is quite common for garage doors to be partially open during the cold. This happens as cold causes the material of the door to contract, especially if the door is made of metal. As a result, the metal will tighten and the door can’t move easily.
2. Should both sensors on the garage door be green?
When the sensors of the garage door are green, it means nothing is obstructing the path of the door. If both of the sensors are perfectly aligned, they both need to be green if the door has to close fully.
3. What are common garage door problems?
The most common garage door problems are faulty opener switches and keypads, partially open garage doors, damaged remotes, springs, etc.
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