What to Do If a Detached Garage Door Is Stuck Closed

There are many advantages to having a detached garage. A garage door that’s stuck closed is not one of them. But the best thing is not to panic. You can manually unlock it if your detached garage door is stuck closed, with the following steps:

  • Open the locks or latches needed to open the door manually.
  • Unplug the motor, which cuts electricity to the garage door opener.
  • Locate the red emergency release cord, pull it down, and continue until the door has reached the top.

Where to Look If Your Detached Garage Door Is Stuck Closed

How you proceed next depends on the exact cause of the issue. If the garage door isn’t opening, here are the best things to check:

Photo-Eye Sensors

The garage door won’t activate if the photo sensor isn’t receiving a signal. To address this issue, clean any dirt and dust from the sensor, remove any obstructions, and check whether the transmitter and receiver are misaligned. Make sure they’re installed at the same height and they face one another from each side of the door. If necessary, turn the photo-eye to align it. Also, check for wiring damage or a blinking LED; these indicate the sensor needs to be replaced.

Transmitter Batteries

If the remote transmitter has a dead battery, a signal won’t be sent when you press the button. Check the receiver on the interior wall. When you press the button here and the door works, the problem is with the remote. Swap out the batteries to get the remote working again; if this doesn’t do the trick, something may be blocking the remote signal, the antenna may be dirty or misaligned, or the device may need to be replaced.

Power Supply

A disconnected power supply is a common reason for a detached garage door to be stuck closed. Check if the operator has been unplugged or a circuit breaker has tripped. Plugging the garage door opener back in or resetting the breaker should get the door working again. Otherwise, an electrician should check for a defective outlet or faulty wiring.

Garage Door Tracks

The tracks must be straight for a garage door to move. If the door is stuck closed, check whether it’s crooked or makes grinding noises when you try to operate it. Don’t force the door to open, as this can cause more damage. Look for objects blocking the track. You can realign it by loosening the screws securing it to the frame, tapping the track back into position, and re-tightening the screws. Call a technician if there’s damage you can’t fix.

Torsion or Extension Springs

Inspect the springs if the garage door won’t open. Torsion springs run horizontally across the top of the door while extension springs are mounted on the sides. The springs support the garage door’s weight and will eventually wear out. A breaking or snapped spring is extremely dangerous to handle, so call a professional to replace it.

Garage Door Cable

Aligned with the tension springs, the cables provide the work needed to operate the door. They also slow a garage door’s descent when the spring breaks. Otherwise, severe damage can occur. After the spring has broken, operating the door risks breaking a cable, which can be extremely dangerous, so have it fixed by a contractor quickly.

Sensitivity Settings

The system may not have been programmed correctly at the factory. You’ll need to contact a provider to obtain the proper settings, so there’s the right amount of force to open or close the door. Even if everything else is working, the opener won’t respond if the sensitivity controls aren’t set correctly.

Other Things You Can Do

There can be many reasons your detached garage door is stuck closed. If none of the above issues seem to be the cause, here are some other steps you can take:

  • Clear Any Obstructions: Check all moving parts to see if something is stuck and remove it; if you can’t find anything, try applying some silicone-based grease or oil lubricant.
  • Install a New Trolley Carriage: This requires turning off the power at the breaker, making sure the door is fully closed, and placing a ladder in a safe location. First, install the rail to the wall bracket. Then slide the new carriage onto the rail and restore power to test the door.
  • Check for Installation Issues: An error during installation can cause a garage door to not open. In this case, you should contact the installer, who can come and correct the issue so your garage door works properly.

Contact Mesa Garage Doors

If your detached garage door is stuck closed, our qualified technicians can troubleshoot it and provide any adjustment or repair necessary. They can work with any type of garage door. We are available 24/7 so book your free estimate or call 714-975-5951 any time.

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Should I Install a Roll-Up or a Sliding Garage Door?

Installing a new garage door can improve curb appeal, security, and energy efficiency. It also allows you to take advantage of different styles and options. One of the choices homeowners have is to pick between a roll-up or a sliding garage door. The advantages of each type will be explained below to help with your purchasing decision:

Why Should I Install a Roll-Up Garage Door?

A roll-up door, or overhead rolling door, retracts into a compact coil as it opens. It is made of numerous steel or aluminum slats. Similar to sectional garage doors familiar to many homeowners, roll-up garage doors can be manually or electronically operated.

Although more often used in commercial settings, roll-up garage doors have advantages including:

  • Small Footprint: The slats coil around a single axle contained in a drum above the door opening. This drum requires about 14 to 29 inches of headroom; aside from guide tracks on the frame, no bulky equipment is required.
  • Security: A rolling garage door uses high-strength materials and secure locking mechanisms. These make it more difficult to break into, improving home security and peace of mind.
  • Durability: A rolling door is resistant to wear and tear, even over years of heavy usage. It resists corrosion, rust, and severe weather while containing fewer parts compared to a sectional/sliding door.
  • Weather Protection: Compared to other garage doors, a roll-up door is better at keeping out wind, rain, and dust. Temperature control in your garage can be improved, and storage, furnishings, and belongings will be more protected.
  • Energy Savings: Foam insulation prevents air leakage, heat transfer, and noise. Another perk is that roll-up doors leave no space under them for air transfer; you won’t need additional air conditioners or fans.

Why Should I Install a Sliding Garage Door?

Traditionally used for commercial and agricultural spaces, sliding garage doors are becoming more common in residential applications. A sliding door can be installed in homes as either a large paneled door or a bi-parting set of doors. Steel, aluminum, or wood panels retract up along the ceiling as the door opens; this requires a vertical track along the side and one along the ceiling.

You can see the following benefits of installing a sliding garage door:

  • Compact Design: While they don’t roll up into a coil, sliding garage doors are relatively compact. They are well-suited for garages that aren’t too small, but sliding models can accommodate lower ceilings than traditional garage doors.
  • Ease of Installation: Ceiling support is needed, but a sliding door comes in standard and custom sizes. Installing the upper and lower rails may require a professional, who can complete the job relatively quickly.
  • Quiet Motor: Less force is needed to open or close a sliding garage door, compared to a traditional model, so the motor is less noisy. Occupants of rooms that share walls with the garage won’t be disturbed when the door is being operated.
  • Easy to Operate and Maintain: The door glides easily along the wall, even if you need to operate it manually, for example, during a power outage. As for maintenance, it’s easy to deal with anything from a squeaky wheel or jammed track to replacing panels and components.
  • Design Options: Sliding garage doors can accommodate various design options and add-ons, from your preferred colors and materials to the inclusion of windows, woodwork, and decorative hinges or other elements.

Should I Install a Roll-Up or Sliding Garage Door?

The right garage door usually depends on the application. If you can choose between either, it’s important to consider the cost vs. durability. A garage door professional can help select the ideal garage door for your home.

Are you still weighing whether to install a traditional, roll-up, or sliding garage door? Mesa Garage Doors has many types of garage doors and options to choose from. Continue browsing to see the various series of high-quality garage doors that we offer. For assistance or to get a new door estimate, contact us online or call (714) 646-1596.

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How to Open a Locked Garage Door from the Outside Without a Key

Forgetting, losing, or misplacing your keys is never a pleasant situation. Neither is being locked out of your garage. But you can still get inside. After all, burglars have many ways to do it; some of these methods exploit the vulnerabilities of your garage door. But it just goes to show not all is lost. Here’s how to open a locked garage door from the outside without a key:

Pull the Emergency Latch

Unless you have built-in precautions against this, you can straighten out a wire hanger and insert it through the top of the garage door. Feel around until you reach the emergency latch. If you can hook the cord, slowly pull on it. Once the safety release is disengaged, you can roll the door up manually.

Create a Makeshift Key

Older garage door locks sometimes don’t use the familiar keys that have a lot of grooves. The mechanism is much simpler than in today’s locking systems. If you’re this lucky, just look for a piece of metal similarly sized to the key and jiggle it into the lock until it engages. Your garage door will be unlocked so you can use it as normal (and hopefully find your old key).

Use Your Credit Card

No, not to pay a locksmith or buy another lock. This works on an older traditional garage door with a spring-loaded locking bolt. The card presses back the bolt so the door will open. Another variation of this trick is to slide a flathead screwdriver into the gap on top of the door to push on the bolt. You should then be able to slide the door open.

Pick the Lock

If your garage door features an exterior handle, you can use a diamond pick and an L-key to open it. To do this, place the L-key at the bottom of the lock hold, and then insert the diamond pick at the top. Move it to lift the tumblers. The lock should rotate so you can open it. Similar tools can be used if you don’t have an L-key and diamond pick.

Destroy the Lock

This may lead to needing costly repairs, so should be a last resort. Depending on the lock, you can drill into the hole the key would normally go in. Drill in quick bursts. The locking pins will be destroyed. Wriggle the lock until it comes free; you can even spray some WD-40 to speed up the process. Don’t drill with too much force or the door may not open.

Contact a Professional

If you’ve secured the emergency release with a zip tie, have a deadbolt, or installed motion sensors and alarms, opening a locked garage door from the outside without a key may be fruitless. You may not be able to solve the problem yourself. But a locksmith has the tools to get your garage door open without causing much damage. It’s best not to put yourself at risk of injury or an expensive repair job later.

Contact Mesa Garage Doors

Our team is available 24/7. We can provide any type of garage door repair and know how to open a locked garage door from the outside without a key. Throughout much of Southern California, we install all types of garage doors and garage door openers. Get answers to frequently asked questions, request a repair or new door estimate, or call (714) 361-0451 for prompt service.

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