Why Is My Garage Door Sticking?

A sticking garage door can be more than a little bit frustrating to deal with. However, it’s a fairly simple issue to troubleshoot as long as you know what to look for.

Are you dealing with a stuck garage door at your Fort Wayne home? Our garage door experts at Overhead Door Company of Fort Wayne will explain some of the most common causes and what you need to do to fix them.

What Causes a Garage Door to Stick?

Before troubleshooting your garage doors, be sure to shut off the power to them if you plan on working with your hands near them. Allowing the garage door to function normally can result in serious harm.

Issues here can range from the mundane and quick-to-fix to those that are complicated and require the tools of a professional. Causes of a sticking garage door include:

• Debris in the tracks: Garage doors are sensitive — they have to be to ensure safety. This means that any amount of dirt or debris, even a stray leaf, can force your garage door to stick. When your garage door is sticking, your first step should always be to look for obvious dirt or debris that can be removed easily.
• Foul weather: Bad weather, particularly cold bad weather, can also cause sticking. In most cases, this is due to ice or frost, which needs to be thawed to restore the functionality of your garage door.
• Trouble with sensitivity settings: The close force sensitivity setting on your garage door can occasionally change if the screw that governs the setting is loose. If the door exerts too much or too little force, it can cause the door to jam, get stuck or fail to operate completely. Check your owner’s manual to see your exact settings and adjust as needed using a screwdriver.
• Automatic garage door controls: If none of the fixes have worked for you so far, cut off power to your automatic garage door and attempt to use the pull-string to close the door manually. If it closes and opens normally, the issue likely lies with the controller or the automated open and close functions.
• Misaligned garage door: If your garage door becomes misaligned, it will most likely fail to operate, and if it does work, it will get stuck. We do not recommend attempting to fix this on your own. Working on the mechanical aspects of a garage door can be dangerous, and attempting to ignore the issue can lead to more extensive damage, potentially putting you at risk for an untimely garage door replacement.
• Damaged tracks: Just as debris can cause your door to stick, so too can a dent in the tracks themselves. This can occasionally be fixed with minimal effort, but in most cases, it’s wiser to leave the repair up to a professional to avoid making the problem worse.

Schedule Garage Door Repair & Replacement in Fort Wayne, IN

Are you still unsure of how to fix your sticking garage door? Contact Overhead Door Company of Fort Wayne and let our garage door repair and service pros get it handled. We provide a wide range of high-quality replacement garage doors tailored for both residential and commercial properties.

With over 80 years of expertise in garage door installation and related services, we’re well-equipped to meet all your ongoing garage door service and maintenance needs. In case of emergencies, we even offer 24-hour service. Our highly trained installers are adept at handling any job and offer expert recommendations to ensure you get the best solutions for your garage door requirements.

You can reach out to us online to schedule same-day service.