Why is My Garage Door Slamming Shut?
If you’ve ever been present when a garage door has slammed shut, then you’ll know what a truly terrifying experience it can be. A large, solid object weighing hundreds of pounds racing toward the floor with all of its might. Get in the way of that and there will be some serious consequences.
If your garage door has slammed shut or does so consistently, and you’re not sure why, we’d encourage you to call your local garage door repair tech. As we just mentioned, this is not an issue that you want to take any chances with, nor is it going to resolve itself.
Below we’re going to discuss some of the reasons why garage doors slam shut. We’ve seen and resolved this issue for our clients in Parker and Broomfield many times over the years.
Possible Causes of a Garage Door that Slams Shut
Whenever a garage door operates erratically, it’s a sign that something is out of whack. It’s usually an indicator that a component is past its best or that maintenance has been neglected. Here are a few common causes of a garage door that slams shut.
Loose or Broken Garage Door Springs
Garage doors rely on a set of torsion or extension springs to enable them to be raised and lowered into place carefully. It's these springs that take the vast majority of the door's weight, and prevent it from crashing to the floor. However, the wear and tear caused by daily use will eventually take its toll. Most extension or torsion springs will last for around 10,000 cycles. To put that into perspective it means something – if you were to go out through the door and come back once per day, the springs should be expected to last roughly 14 years. The more frequently you open and close the door, the shorter the lifespan.
There are a few telltale signs that your springs are no longer capable of doing their job properly. You might notice gaps in the springs between the coils, or you may notice that your door isn’t 100% level. These springs do have a habit of breaking rather suddenly, and when they do, this will cause your door to slam shut.
Whatever you do, don’t attempt to replace broken garage door springs on your own - contact garage door repair professionals, as this is a job that can be extremely dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing and don’t have the correct equipment.
Tracks that are Bent Out of Shape or Rollers Out of Tracks
On either side of your garage door, you'll see a set of tracks. The rollers that are attached to your door run up and down these tracks as they open and close. Sometimes the tracks can become damaged – perhaps through an accidental collision – and the rollers may be forced out of them. When this happens, it can cause the door to come down very quickly and slam shut.
These tracks need to be straightened out and you need to make sure their alignment is correct, and then the rollers need to be re-inserted. Again, this is a task best left to an experienced garage door repair technician.
Garage Door Opener Chains are Loose
Just like your garage door springs, over time, the condition of the chains that your garage door opener uses to lower and raise the door will deteriorate. Through constant use, they will become loose, decreasing the tension put on the door and creating more slack. The result? Your door will close more abruptly and have a tendency to slam shut.
You will likely hear a lot more noise produced by the chain if it’s loose, so that’s one indicator to watch out for. If this is the issue, a garage door repair pro can either tighten or replace the chain, and your slamming door troubles should be a thing of the past!
Incorrect Close Force Adjustment Settings
This is another one for those of you who have a garage door opener. You may not know this, but the force that your opener applies to control the door can be adjusted. If it’s currently set on low, it may struggle to control the door at all (sometimes this can lead to it suddenly giving way if the door is very heavy).
But if you’re experiencing a door that slams shut, the most likely explanation is that this setting is currently set too high. This means it’s applying too much force when opening/closing the door, and as a consequence, the door gathers too much momentum when moving downwards and combined with gravity, causes it to slam.
For most garage door opener models, you can manually adjust the force settings using a dial that can be controlled with a screwdriver. Try tweaking this to see if it makes a difference.
Visit our garage door openers page to explore the Liftmaster models A Better Garage Door carries.
Garage Door Maintenance is the Key to Preventing a Slamming Door
Garage door problems happen. But you’re far less likely to suffer the consequences of something like a slamming garage door if you invest in regular maintenance from a qualified garage door repair pro. Most of these issues are the result of a component not being replaced in time, but a technician will spot and replace these things before they become a problem. If you’re located in Parker or Broomfield, give our garage door repair team a call!