Five Reasons Why Your Garage Door is Jammed (and How to Fix It)
If you’re dealing with a garage door that’s jammed, it can be an irritating experience. Thankfully, there may be a simple solution for fixing this issue.
Learn how this problem occurs and what you need to do to solve it using our experts’ advice below.
What is Causing My Garage Door to be Jammed?
There are five different reasons issues that can cause your garage door to be jammed:
- Something is lodged in your garage door track.
- Your garage door is locked.
- Your garage door springs are broken.
- Your garage door is off track.
- Your cable is broken.
Some of these solutions you can fix on your own, but others require a trained technician to ensure your family’s safety and reduce the risk of causing further damage.
What You Can Fix on Your Own
1. Something is Lodged in Your Garage Door Track
Your jammed garage door can be caused by something as simple as an obstruction in the track. Check to see if anything (a shovel, broom, etc.) fell and is now stuck in the track. If so, simply remove it.
2. Your Garage Door is Locked
Surprisingly, the problem could be caused by your garage door being locked. Some garage doors have a “full lock” system, which enables you to lock your garage door from the outside by turning the handle. This means that anyone in your driveway (children, bystanders, etc.) could have turned your handle and mistakenly locked the garage door without you being aware of it. Unlocking your garage door should solve this issue.
What a Professional Must Perform
3. Your Garage Door Springs are Broken
Broken torsion springs have a visible gap between them
You could have a broken garage door spring, which will look one of two ways depending on the type of spring. If your garage door springs are located horizontally at the top of your garage door, then they are called torsion springs. We recommend checking for a gap between the springs to indicate if they are broken. If your springs are located at either side of your garage door, they are called extension springs. To verify whether these springs are broken, look to see if a piece of spring is hanging loosely on the side of your garage door. Regardless which type you have, replacing a spring is a dangerous process. We recommend seeking the help of a professional for any garage door spring repair or replacement needs.
4. Your Garage Door is Off Track
Your garage door has rollers on either side that allow it to glide along the track when moving up and down. If the rollers are disconnected from the track, the door will not move. This is very easy to spot. Look along both sides of the garage door for a roller that is outside the track. If the rollers look normal like what's pictured here, this is not the problem.
5. Your Cable is Broken
Another possible culprit could be the cable. Your garage door is physically lifted by using a spring, cable, and pulley system. When the spring turns the pulley, it pulls a cable attached to the garage door. If the cable is broken, the garage door won't move. Replacing a garage door cable is a common garage door repair that can be carried out by your local garage door technician.
Contact Precision to Fix Your Garage Door Jam
Don’t remain stuck in a cycle of annoyance and frustration. Trust Precision Garage Door Service® for your garage door repairs. To get started, give us a call at (877) 301-7474 or find the Precision technician nearest you.
