One garage door issue that we see commonly is garage doors suddenly stopping – and sometimes reversing directions – suddenly as it closes, even if there’s no obstruction underneath it. This issue can be very frustrating, especially when you’re in a rush to leave your garage. In this blog post, the garage door repair experts here at Chicago Garage Door will detail some of the best things to do if your garage door keeps stopping as it’s opening or closing.

Obstructions

Look if there’s any objects in between the sensors on either side of the garage door meant to sense the presence of a physical object int he way of the door. Even an incredibly small item can interfere with the garage door closing.

Check for Blocked Tracks

Sometimes small objects like pebbles or accumulated dirt clods can jam up the track of the garage door. In order for the door to properly function the track needs to be completely clear. We recommend the use of a bright light like your phone flashlight to make sure there’s no objects blocking the track.

Tension Springs

Check to see if there’s a stretched out or broken tension spring that’s interfering with your proper garage door operation. If your garage DOES have a broken tension spring, contact a garage door repair expert right away, as no amateurs should ever try to repair a tension or torsion spring by themselves.

Garage Door Sensors

If there’s no physical blockages involved with the garage, you need to check the garage photo eye sensors themselves. Sometimes photo eye sensors become misaligned, so the laser light between the two doesn’t sit at a straight line so they touch each other. The lights on each sensor should be on – either fully lit or blinking.  If either or both the lights are out, try physically aligning the sensors to help the garage door properly operate.