Help – Why is my garage door uneven or closing crooked?

Garage doors that run unevenly or crookedly are clues that a door is out of balance. Symptoms of an unbalanced door include:

• Door looks uneven while opening or closing.
• The door starts to close by itself after you have opened it.
• You hear loud noises while operating the door such as grinding, slapping, slamming shut, banging, etc.
• The door speed isn’t the same while opening as it is while closing.
• You have to “assist” your electric motor to open the door.
• When running the door manually, the door is difficult to open or close. The door may stick or bind.
• The door closes hard or rockets open.
• The door will not hold its position about 3-4 feet of the ground when opened manually. A little drifting up or down is acceptable.
• The door will not open at all.

Some of the fixes include track adjustments, resetting or replacing the cables, replacing broken or incorrect springs or leveling the shaft line.

At best, an unbalanced door strains the cables, springs and electric motor causing a shorter performance life. At worst, an unbalanced door can injure people and property. If you have any concerns about how your garage door is running, call a garage door professional.

WARNING: This article is an explanation of garage door problems. Do not make adjustments yourself. Call a garage door professional. Working on a garage door without the proper training and tools could cause serious injury or death.