9 Common Reasons Why Your Garage Door Is Not Closing All the Way

The garage door is an entry point into your home. A door that won’t close might make you anxious and prevent you from sleeping. The last thing you want is for someone to break into your house. So whether you are home or away, a garage door that closes properly keeps you and your family safe.

Is the garage door not closing? Read this article to find out why the garage door doesn’t close all the way. We also provide information on how you can deal with each problem.

What Does It Mean If My Garage Door Will Not Close?

The importance of a garage is often overlooked. But what happens when something goes wrong? Just like most things, a garage door needs to be checked regularly as it can malfunction at any time. This happens to all types of automatic and mechanic doors, irrespective of the manufacturer. The problems that will cause the door not to close are the same for all types of designs.

The type of problem can be something as small as an object in the path of the door. In such cases, you may attempt fixing it yourself. But sometimes, it takes more than your DIY skills. For example, faulty wires or snapped springs may be the cause. If such an issue arises, seek professional help immediately.

Reasons Why the Garage Door Won’t Close All the Way

If you are having trouble when closing the garage door, here are some possible reasons why it happened and how to fix it. Let’s check the below list.

1. Blockages

• Problem: blockages
• Cause: objects
• Solution: remove objects

One of the most common reasons why a garage door will not close is because of foreign objects in the path of the door. Since it is something obvious, many people tend not to think of this. If the door is not shutting, the first thing you want to check is whether there are any objects. Objects that can cause a blockage include screws, stones, or toys.

Sometimes the weather may be the culprit. For instance, during winter, ice may be the reason why the door just won’t shut. Once you clear the ice, everything should return to normal.

2. Malfunctioning sensors

• Problem: malfunctioning sensors
• Cause: objects or misalignment
• Solution: remove objects or realign sensors

Most modern garages work with sensors. These are placed on either side of the garage. Sensors send signals to each other to detect if there are any objects within the path of the opening. Any slight obstruction in the pathway of the signal could lead to an improperly shut door.

The garage door will not close all the way if there is dust on the sensors. A sensor might accumulate dust which blocks sending a beam across the floor to the other sensor. Also, the sensor may send a false signal, which may be why the garage door will not close. In this case, you can easily clean the sensor. Just open the sensors and clean the dust from the lens with a clean rag.

Sometimes the problem may lie with the electric cables supplying the sensors. When there is no power to the sensors, it may be a safety feature. Either way, it can be very frustrating. The worst case is that the sensors or lenses may be damaged. If this happens, you will have to buy new ones. Ask an expert to install them for you.

Sensors may also be misaligned. Because they lie close to the floor, it is very easy for sensors to be misplaced accidentally. The slightest misplacement can lead to a door that won’t shut. Check if the sensors are in the right position. If not, you can easily align them on your own.

3. Damaged springs

• Problem: damaged springs
• Cause: wear and tear
• Solution: replace springs

All garage doors are fitted with springs. These springs are important as they help the door to close and open smoothly. However, springs can suffer the effects of wear and tear. That is why it is recommended to have them changed from time to time. Otherwise, you may suffer an inconvenience when you least expect it. When springs break, the garage door opener won’t close the door and it will remain stuck in a semi-closed position.

It is usually easy for someone to recognize that the springs are damaged. You can easily purchase new springs, but leave it to the professionals to replace them. Doing it by yourself will only lead to injuries.

4. Worn-out cables

• Problem: damaged cables
• Cause: wear and tear
• Solution: replace cables

Cables are the main parts responsible for moving the door towards the floor. Just like springs, cables are prone to be damaged. They usually last longer than springs. However, once springs get damaged, the risk is higher for cables to suffer the same fate. When a cable is broken, you can hear a loud deafening sound. Once a cable breaks, the garage door won’t shut all the way. All you need to fix this is to replace the cables. This is best left to someone with experience.

5. Maladjusted limit settings

• Problem: limit settings
• Cause: maladjustment
• Solution: readjust the settings

Each door has a travel limit. This determines how low the door needs to be before closing completely. When you get the door, it comes with a default setting to determine how far it can close. This should be reset during installation. It is quite common for the setting to be too high or low. High limit settings will cause the door to stop before closing properly.

If the setting is too low, then the door will hit the floor violently before shutting. The latter situation can cause significant damage. This might mean you are getting a new door. For high limit settings, you just need a readjustment, and everything will return to normal.

6. Misaligned tracks

• Problem: malfunctioning tracks
• Cause: misalignment
• Solution: replace the track

Tracks are responsible for carrying the door down when closing. Anything can cause the tracks to malfunction. For example, they may be bent or misaligned. This means the garage door will not close all the way. Sometimes an object may block the tracks. So you can easily remove the blockage to render the door fully functional. The more serious situation in which the track is bent or completely damaged will require you to call experts. Do not try to resolve this by yourself. A full replacement of the tracks is necessary if this happens.

7. Cracked floor

• Problem: cracked floor
• Cause: shaky slab
• Solution: repair the floor

The floor may be the problem sometimes. For the door to close properly, the floor should be stable. If the floor is damaged or shaky, the door won’t close completely. A way to check if the floor has shifted is to look for cracks. What about garage door issues in cold weather? The elements can impact the opening system. Cold weather may also damage the floor. Repairing the floor by letting concrete set for at least two days will lead to the garage door shutting normally.

 8. Damaged door seal

• Problem: damaged seal
• Cause: mechanical damage
• Solution: replace the seal

The seal may be the problem. Seals can be damaged by many things like ice. During winter, the constant melting of snow may lead to the seal rotting. Seals can be damaged by mechanical factors and may just fall off sometimes. In any case, you have to replace the seal. There are different seals — it is better to use wider seals as they last longer. Remember that this should be done by an expert.

9. A problem with openers

• Problem: door opener
• Cause: faulty electrical connection
• Solution: plugin or repair fuse

Sometimes the problem may be with the garage door opener. If you are lucky, it may be a maladjusted opener. This can be easily resolved by checking the manual. If the garage door opener is not closing, then call someone to check it out.

Always check if the opener is plugged in. Sometimes the garage door opener won’t work because it has been accidentally unplugged. Sometimes the fuse or circuit may be damaged. If this happens, call an expert to repair the fuse.

Conclusion

Now you know what may be causing the door not to shut completely. The issues can be so minor that you could fix them by yourself. For example, you could remove objects or dust from sensors. But the cause can be something more serious. Damaged sensors, springs, and cables can only be replaced by a professional. So if you find it difficult to diagnose what may keep the door from shutting, it is best to seek expert help.

Changing springs or cables requires you to lift the door. You will need to hold huge equipment to keep the door open while repairing any damage. If you need to replace industrial garage doors, you must be particularly careful. Commercial overhead garage door installation has to be performed by experts, as such doors are usually larger and heavier than those used in residential buildings. So if you are not skilled in this field, you risk injuring yourself. To make matters worse, attempting to fix complex issues alone can only mean more damage.

The best way to know the exact cause of why the garage door won’t go down all the way is to call experts. For any issues, do not hesitate to call STI Garage Door.

STI Garage Door

Operating in the garage door industry for over 25 years, STI Garage Door is dedicated to quality service and excellence in everything.

The company is a proud partner to the top brands in the field — LiftMaster for commercial door openers and Amarr and Clopay for residential and commercial doors.