Here’s How to End Your Garage Door Sticking Problems

Many homeowners count on their garage door everyday and need it to be in proper working condition at all times. Even if you don’t use your garage door everyday, you still want to be able to open and close it hassle-free. If your garage door is sticking, then you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we’ll go over the most common causes of a garage door sticking and how you can fix it so you can go back to using your garage with no troubles.

The Problem May Lie With Your Garage Door Opener

If you have a garage door opener and you door suddenly starts sticking when opening and closing, the problem could very well be associated with your opener. Over time, your opener can become damaged due to the wear and tear of everyday use.

Luckily, in order to figure out if the opener is the cause of your garage door sticking, all you have to do is pull the cord that hangs from the track – it usually has a red handle on it.

Doing this will disable the automatic opener and allow you to open and close your garage door manually. If you’re able to open and close the door freely with no sticking, then you can conclude that the problem is with the opener itself.

In such a case, refer to your opener’s manual for any repair instructions as well as check the batteries in the opener and any remotes you use. If you’re uncomfortable making any repairs, contact your local repair service.

Adjust the Sensitivity

Another thing to check with the opener is the sensitivity settings. Sometimes, if it’s set too high, the sensor may think something is in the way causing the garage door to stick.

By changing the sensitivity levels, you can figure out if this is the cause of your garage door sticking.

If this doesn’t solve anything and your opener has no faults, continue below to find out more causes of your garage door sticking.

Lubricate the Rollers, Tracks and Chain

Another common cause of a sticking garage door can be that the components are dried out and need to be lubricated. Luckily, this is probably the easiest way to fix to a sticking garage door – you just need to make sure you have the right tools.

Using a garage door lubricant, spray along the rollers, tracks and the chain if you have a chain driven opener. You can find a garage door lubricant at your local hardware store.

Make sure to apply it along the entire track and every roller to make sure that you can rule out this cause if your garage door still sticks.

Inspect the Tracks

Depending on how often you use your garage door, the tracks can experience some slight damage over time. This could very well be the cause of your garage door sticking.

Closely examine the tracks of your garage door opening system for any nicks, dents or bumps. If you find any, you’ll want to get it repaired as soon as you can because continuing to use a damaged track can cause further problems with your garage door and make it unsafe to use.

If the track seems to not be straight, you can fix this by placing a block of wood on the damaged area and hammer the wood to straighten out the track. Be sure to not hit the track directly with the hammer as this can cause more damage than good.

Give it a Good Cleaning

If you notice that your tracks are dirty, another step to fixing a sticking garage door is to clean them along with the rollers.

Built-up dirt, dust and debris can easily block your garage door’s path and cause it to stick on its way up and down.

Wipe down the tracks and rollers to clean off any dirt and grime. Not only can this stop your garage door from sticking, but it’ll help increase the lifespan of the parts on your garage door.

Check the Alignment

Perhaps the most common problem associated with a sticking garage door is when it’s misaligned and not level. This causes your garage door to shimmy up the tracks which is why it’s sticking on the way up and down.

Check the springs to make sure they have the same amount of tension. If one or both of them are loose, it can cause your garage door to move unevenly up and down the tracks.

You can also check the alignment of the tracks. If they don’t appear to be level, loosen them up and tap them back until they’re straight and re-tighten the screws.

You can check the levelness of your garage door with a simple level tool or a laser level if you have one.

Weather May Be the Cause

Living in the Midwest, you know that the weather is anything but predictable. Sudden and extreme changes in temperature can cause your garage door to stick when opening and closing. Usually, this is because the springs get frozen or the lubricant gets dried up.

However, depending on the material of your garage door, it could become damaged due to weather extremes. For example, if you have a wood or aluminum door, they can easily become damaged in harsh weather.

Wood is susceptible to warping and swelling and aluminum is easily dented. Once a wood door becomes warped or swelled, there’s no cure besides replacement.

Both of these materials are not suitable for the Midwest. On the other hand, steel garage doors are durable enough to take anything thrown at them and keep working properly.

Poor Installation

Although uncommon, improper installation of your garage door can be the cause of it sticking when opening and closing.

That’s why we recommend getting your garage door installed by factory trained and certified professionals only. When you need a garage door installed, make sure the installers are experienced and have the necessary skills to correctly install your garage door.

Plus, a poorly installed garage door is unsafe for you and your family. Something could easily break and the garage door can suddenly fall, injuring anyone or damaging anything in its path.

Prevent Your Garage Door From Sticking

A garage door that sticks on the way up and down is an unnecessary annoyance that can be avoided if you follow these tips. Your garage door is an important feature on your home so you need to be able to rely on it without having any problems.

If you find that your garage door is past its prime, trust Feldco to provide you with a steel garage door that’ll stand the test of time and work flawlessly through it all.

With over 500,000 homeowners served, it’s easy to see why people trust us. Get a free quote now for your new garage door and say goodbye to that old garage door that sticks.