What Should You Do If The Garage Door Won’t Open?

 

It’s the usual Monday morning routine. You wake up, get dressed, grabbed a breakfast bar and a cup of coffee and you’re ready to get going on your commute to work. But wait, the garage that you rely on for the safety of your vehicle is stuck shut. Panic hits as you instantly check to see if your key is damaged but unfortunately it’s the garage door that’s the problem and you’re not sure what to do next. 

 

A damaged garage door can cause a whole range of problems, it may be that you do not have access to your car or it could be that you are trapped inside the garage. Whatever the case, it’s important that you work promptly to have this issue resolves as soon as possible. Nobody wants to go months without having access to their garage, so let us help you get this problem sorted today. 

 

In this article, we will be discussing some tips to help you diagnose the issue with your garage door and some quick fixes to help give you regain access. 

 

Get To The Bottom of The Problem 

 

The first step is working out why the garage door is having issues. With there being a range of different garage door makes and styles out on the market each problem is going to be unique in its own way. Luckily we have discussed some of the most common issues that you could be causing your problem. 

 

Automated Garage Doors 

 

If you have an automated garage door system it most likely will be an electrical fault that is causing the door to not open. You can test this by simply activating the garage door with your remote and listening out for any sound coming from the door mechanism itself. Automated garage doors can be prone to these types of problems as anything from a blown fuse to water damage can prevent these systems from operating. If you are experiencing any of these signs you can contact a garage door repair company straight away and explain the issue. 

 

Manual Garage Door

 

If you have a manually operating garage door the problem can often be more complicated. The two most common issues faced with these types of garage doors are the locking system and the opening mechanism. Both of these aspects of the door can be prone to seizing which prevents the garage door from being able to open and close. Luckily, if you have suitable access to the inside of your garage there are some steps we can take to hopefully get the garage door operational again.  

 

Identify A Quick Fix For The Problem

 

Not all damaged garage doors require professional help, there are a few things that you can do to help free up the door and get it operational again. These steps are only applicable for people who can access the inside of their garage and the opening mechanism on which the door runs. If you are stuck outside the garage you are better off contacting a professional as there is little that can be done from the outside. 

 

Applying Door Lubricant 

 

The first thing that you should try is a lubricant. Common household products such as WD-40 are a great place to start. Boasting the ability to remove dust and provide a natural lubricant to the surface, this may just be exactly what your garage needs to start operating again. If you apply this lubricant to all of the main components of the garage door and leave it to sit for between 10-15 minutes, you give the product a chance to work its way deep into the mechanism and hopefully free up any stickiness.

 

Give The Door Some Force 

 

After the lubricant has been applied you can look at applying a bit more force to hopefully free it up. The added lubricant will have help to free up all forms of dust and dirt which may have become clogged in the mechanism and by giving the door some added force you may be able to set the door free again. This won’t work in all cases but for the small percentage of garage door owners that it does work for, it can be a real lifesaver. 

 

Contact A Garage Door Repair Company

 

If you have tried the previous steps to no success its time to get in contact with a professional garage door repair company. We understand that not all issues can be solved by yourself and sometimes is best to leave it to a trained professional. At least by contacting someone you gain total peace of mind that the repair job has been completed properly and the same issue will not occur again.