When the clouds sweep in and the wind speeds up, you know bad weather is approaching. Moreover, extreme wind and weather may be scary, especially when the electricity goes out. In addition to the discomfort of having no light or television, you may face other challenges when the electricity is out. Some of these challenges may include the inability to operate your garage doors.
Since there’s no electricity, a garage door opener without a battery backup won’t work. Therefore it might make your garage door get stuck, making it difficult to get in. The good thing is that there are ways you can open your garage from the outside if it gets stuck. Finish reading this article to know what to do.
How To Open A Stuck Garage From The Outside
If you cannot get to your garage from the outside, an emergency key release should get fitted on your garage door. You will first locate the garage door’s emergency key release and input the key to open your garage door.
You will then turn the key and remove the tumbler. A cord should be visible in the lock tumbler hole. In addition, you will grasp the rope to stop the motor. Finally, lift the garage door straight up until it is fully open.
Manually Opening Your Garage Door If It Gets Stuck Due To Power Lose
In the event of a power loss, be cool. A modern garage should have an emergency release kit. The emergency release kit allows you to open the garage door from the inside or outside manually.
However, there may be times that you might lose power. When power is lost, it might make your garage door get stuck. When this happens, here is what you can do.
How To Manually Open A Garage Door From The Inside
- Unlock the door: Make sure any outside locks or latches are open, so they don’t interfere with manually opening the garage door.
- You will then disconnect the door opener’s power cord.
- Find the emergency release cord: You will ensure you find the red emergency release cord that hangs from the garage door track’s middle rail. This red cord links the trolley that connects the garage door arm to the center track. When the garage door is closed, ensure you use the emergency release handle.
- Pull the cord: The next thing is to pull down the emergency release handle. This cord should detach the garage door from the trolley and allow manual movement.
- Lift the garage door: You will pull the garage door straight up from the bottom until it stops moving. You will ensure that it stays in place until you finish taking what you want out of the garage.
- Close the door: Once outside, manually close the door. If your door has a lock bar, slide it manually.
How To Open A Garage Door Manually From The Outside
- The first thing you will do is to find the emergency release kit. You can find the emergency release kit near the top of your garage door. You will find a little lock with an emergency release cable once you find the emergency release kit. Moreover, you should ensure that you have the corresponding key.
- Unlock the emergency release cord: Turn the key and pull out the lock tumbler once you find the key. By doing so, you will uncover a cable. This cord activates the door’s manual release mechanism, thus allowing manual movement.
- Unlock the garage door: You will find another lock next to a handle that keeps the door closed. You will therefore unlock the door and turn the handle to be vertical using your key.
- Lift the garage door straight up with your hands and support it with something to avoid it coming down.
- Close the garage door from inside.
Possible Causes Of A Stuck Garage Door
You may be wondering why your garage door gets stuck when you try to open it. Here are some of the causes why your garage door is getting stuck.
Weather Conditions
Extreme heat or cold can damage a garage door. Moreover, temperature changes cause rails to expand and shrink, causing damage. When your garage door freezes, the door opener must get adjusted. In addition, a technician can alter the door opening mechanism’s pressure to offer extra force.
Springs And Drums
Your garage door is solely there to safeguard your property. The significant lifting is done by the springs, which can break. Drums lift the door by interacting with cables on each side that might get obstructed. When these two get damaged, your garage door will get stuck. It would be best not to attempt to repair them by yourself. You should instead call a professional team to avoid any possible injuries.
Sensor Obstructions
Sensors are on both sides of the garage. However, a sensor blockage might cause a stuck door. It doesn’t even have to be an object. A spider web may also be blocking the sensor. Therefore, examine the sensors on either side and remove the webs.
How To Fix A Garage Door That Gets Stuck
Replacing The Trolley
The first thing you will do is to unplug the motor or turn off the breaker. You will then close the door manually by pulling the release handle. Afterward, remove the ladder from below the trolley and attach the rail to the new carriage’s wall bracket. Later, you will reconnect the motor and test the new trolley.
Check for any obstruction
Inspect the entire mechanism to find a blockage that stops your garage door from working. Rollers, hinges, tracks, and other components can all fail if obstructed by a foreign object. In addition, the cause of this might be due to poor lubrication. Therefore, in this situation, lubricate the tracks and hardware with silicone-based lubricant or oil.
Repairing Any Broken Spring
The first thing you will do is to identify your springs. The door’s torsion spring is horizontal. Look for a space between the springs to see whether it’s broken. The door’s extension springs run vertically.
Therefore, examine their condition for broken or slack parts. Performing the replacement on your own is risky and demands skill and prudence. Thus, call a specialist if you detect a broken torsion or extension spring.
How To Open A Garage That Has A Broken Extension Spring
The extension spring of garage doors includes springs attached to cables at the garage door’s bottom corners. Spring cables keep broken springs from flying across the room. Moreover, the extension springs run down the door’s horizontal track, one on each side. Both extension springs must be functional to operate the garage door.
Trying to open a garage door with a broken spring is risky and can cause injury or property damage. However, there are some safe ways you can open your garage with a broken extension spring. Here are some of them.
Partner Up With Someone
Professionals advise against trying to open a garage door with a broken spring. However, if you must open your garage door, do not do so alone.
Use Extreme Caution
Before lifting the door, inspect it thoroughly. Keep an eye on the door, the spring, and your limbs.
Do not Use An Opener
You should ensure that you manually open the door to avoid further damage to the door system. The door may seem heavy without the opener and a broken spring.
Disconnect The Door From The Opener
The first thing is to ensure the garage door is level with the ground to avoid slamming. You will then disconnect the garage door from the garage door opener by pulling the red cord.
Set Two Crowbars Under The Garage Door And Lift The Door
Placing the two crossbars underneath the door seal will give you leverage if the door is heavy. You will then raise the door completely along the horizontal rails. If the door is still too heavy, stop trying to lift it and call a repair service.
Clamp The Door
Once the door gets fully raised, secure it with heavy-duty vice clamps. Therefore, ensure that you fix the clamps underneath the door’s lowest roller.
Use A Ladder To Keep The Door Up
You will place a ladder on each side of the door. Ladders can help support the door if the vice clips can’t hold it. Take everything you want out of the garage and call a garage door expert right away if you haven’t already.
Can Blockages Cause The Garage Door To Get Stuck?
Yes, it can. Leaves, small stones, and dirt in the rails can cause blockages. They impede the door from adequately shutting and opening. In addition, a little ball or toy might also cause a garage door to get stuck. Therefore, examine the rollers, tracks, and hinges for debris to discover a foreign object.
Conclusion
Know that your garage door is stuck if it won’t open or isn’t operating after a power loss. Your garage door can also get stuck due to other causes like blockages. In case your garage door gets stuck, you should know how to operate your garage door manually. The above article has taken you through everything you need to know about opening a stuck garage door.
