Homeowners in Southeast Florida have experience with hurricanes. If you live in Florida, you should have a sturdy automatic garage door that will protect your home, your family and your vehicle from severe storms. By law, garage doors in Florida need to be Windcode-rated to withstand strong hurricane winds.
In this guide, we will go over:
- What to Do If Your Garage Door Gets Stuck
- How to Open a Garage Door Manually
- Garage Door Safety Tips
- Schedule Emergency Garage Door Maintenance
- Contact an Expert
Automatic garage doors should open with the press of the wall station, input of your code on the outside keypad or push of a button on a wireless remote control or clicker, but they may have trouble functioning during a power outage or after a hurricane. In case of an emergency, you should know how to open your garage door manually. As you follow these guidelines for what to do if your garage door won’t open, remember to make safety your priority. If you need help inspecting or repairing your garage door, you can consult a professional in the garage door industry.
What to Do If Your Garage Door Gets Stuck
If your automatic garage door is stuck in one position, you should inspect it to discover the problem. Some common reasons for why your garage door won’t open include:
- Power outages: During a power surge or a storm, your circuit breaker could reset and cause a power outage. After a storm, check your circuit breaker to make sure the opener to your garage door is “On.” You should also check to make sure your garage door opener was not accidentally unplugged.
- Storm damage: Since hurricanes are common in Florida, your garage door is built to withstand strong winds and heavy rains. In severe hurricanes, your garage door could become damaged. In this case, you can schedule an appointment with a professional garage company to inspect and replace your garage door. If you try to fix it yourself after a severe storm, you could void your garage door’s warranty or potentially harm yourself.
- Locked garage door: After checking for storm damage or malfunction from power outages, you should check your outside garage door lock. While you may have checked this already, you should confirm your garage door is unlocked before attempting to make any repairs.
- Faulty remote: If your door opens manually but not with your remote garage door opener, the remote may need to be replaced. You could also try changing out the batteries.
- Faulty garage door opener: Your garage door opener wears out over time. To open a garage door if the garage door opener is broken, turn off the automatic setting and open the door manually. If the door opens without a problem, you may need to replace your garage door opener.
- Faulty garage door spring: Two springs — the torsion spring and the extension spring — control the back and forth movement of your garage door. If your spring system is jammed or broken, your garage door will not be operational and you will not be able to open or close the door safely. If you suspect that your garage door spring is faulty, do not attempt to open your garage door until you consult a garage door professional. Torsion springs have a limited lifespan, so if you use your garage door often, you will need to replace your garage door springs. more often.
- The garage door is off the track: If your garage door rollers come out of the track or the door becomes crooked in the opening do not try to operate the door. Be sure to call a licensed garage door contractor to service your door.
- Lack of lubrication: Your garage door components do get dried out over time and does need at least annual lubrication. You can buy garage door lubricant or use a silicone-based lubricant to apply to your garage’s rollers, hinges and springs.
- Improper installation: While most garage doors are usually installed properly, your garage door may be misaligned or damaged due to improper installation. Consult with a professional garage door specialist to have your garage door inspected and repaired or replaced as needed.
How to Open a Garage Door Manually
After you have inspected your garage door to find the source of the problem, you can try manually opening your garage door. To open your garage door manually, you should:
- Make sure the garage door is fully closed.
- Pull the red emergency release cord.
- Start carefully lifting the garage door.
Here are some tips for how to open a garage door after a hurricane, power outage or malfunction.
1. Make Sure the Garage Door Is Fully Closed
Your garage door can get stuck halfway through the track. Only try to open your garage door manually if your garage door is fully closed. Check the bottom of your garage door to make sure it is touching the ground. If your garage door won’t close properly, you may have to get your garage door or spring replaced or serviced by a qualified garage door specialist.
You should also check that the latches and locks are all open for your garage door. It will obviously be impossible to open a locked garage door.
After verifying that your garage door is completely closed and the rollers are still in the track it is now time for the next step. Pulling the Red Emergency Release Cord.
2. Pull the Red Emergency Release Cord
Your automatic garage door should have an emergency release cord to disconnect the door from the opener in an emergency. The emergency release cord will be located in the center rail of your garage door track. It might be a different color, but it should be the only cord hanging from your garage door carriage.
After locating the emergency cord, pull down firmly on the cord to disconnect the door from the opener. Your emergency cord most likely includes a plastic pull handle attached to a red cord. By pulling on the red emergency release cord, you will disengage the automatic release lever or garage door opener trolly on the garage door opener.
When your house gains power again or your garage door is fixed, you may engage your garage door’s automatic setting by pulling the red emergency release cord again. If you need help during this process, consult your user’s manual or call a professional garage door service company.
3. Start Carefully Lifting the Garage Door
After you disengage your garage door’s automatic setting, you should be able to easily lift your garage door open. Since tension or torsion springs counterbalance the weight your garage door, the springs should do most of the heavy lifting in opening the garage. The door will be slightly heavy, but if it sticks or makes strange noises while you open it, you should call a professional licensed garage door company to inspect your garage door to prevent further damage or personal injury.
Grab the garage door with both hands and lift it from the bottom, opening it until the bottom of the door is fully overhead. Since your garage door is completely manual and unassisted by the electric garage door opener be sure that the door will stay open completely on its own before releasing your grip on the door. If the garage door springs are out of balance the door could fall rapidly and damage the door or worse yet injure you or someone standing close by.
If the door is too heavy for you to open on your own your door springs could be broken or out of balance. At this point you should, for safety reasons call a licensed garage door professional. To ensure that your door is within manufacturer specifications and ensure safe operation whether connected to the electric opener or operated manually it is recommended that you have your garage routinely inspected by a licensed garage door professional and practice the proper safety precautions.
Garage Door Safety Tips
Use caution when opening a garage door manually. The garage door may be heavy or unstable when you open it, so if possible, ask someone to help you if you are unsure. When opening or closing your garage, make sure that no people, animals or objects are in its pathway.
As you open your garage door manually, practice these additional safety tips to protect yourself, others and your property.
- Keep children safe: Children may think that garage remote openers are toys. Do not let your children play in or around the garage while you are manually opening or closing it. Children have been known to try to ride the garage door by holding onto the outdoor handle or door bottom, so make sure that you teach your children about garage door safety as well.
- Is it safe to open a garage door after a power outage? You can open your garage after a power outage as long as you protect yourself from potential electric shock. Unplug your electric garage door motor unit before you attempt to open your garage door manually. If you open a garage door during a power outage and the electricity turns on while you are working, the opener could shock or injure you as it starts to move. You may also damage the electrical elements of your garage door opener.
- Keep your fingers away from in between door sections: Your fingers could get pinched in between garage door sections. If you have children, you should explain to them the danger of putting their fingers in between the sections of your garage door.
- Close your garage door completely after use: If you manually open and close your garage door, you should open and close it completely so the garage door does not slam onto the floor or hit an object in its pathway. Opening the garage door completely also relieves some of the pressure from the garage door springs. Do not pull the red emergency release cord if your garage door is stuck open. The door could fall rapidly injuring those nearby.
- Refer to the user’s manual: If you have your garage’s user manual, you have a reference for how to manually open your garage door. The user manual should also have information about safety procedures that are specific to your garage’s unique manufacturer.
- Protect your garage at night and on vacation: Burglars can break into your home through the garage with a coat hanger. When everyone is safe inside your home, lock the door that leads into the house from the garage. Change the access code on your garage often for heightened security. While on vacation, you can unplug your garage door opener unit and disengage your remote. You can also use blackout curtains for your garage when you are away on vacation.
- Properly maintain your garage door: Make sure you keep your garage door clean and lubricated for optimal efficiency. Lubricating the rollers and chain on your garage door will help it open and close quietly and prolong its lifespan.
To keep your garage door completely safe and efficient, you should schedule routine and emergency garage door maintenance with a licensed professional garage door company.
Schedule Emergency Garage Door Maintenance
When your garage door is not opening and closing properly, opening your garage door manually should be a temporary fix. A professional garage door installer may need to inspect your door to discover if your garage door should be replaced or repaired. Preventive maintenance can help your garage door before it breaks by keeping you and your guests safe, lowering the long-term costs of your garage door, keeping your garage door looking sharp and enhancing your home’s curb appeal and resale value.
How often your garage gets a tune-up depends on the age of the door and the frequency of use, but you should generally have your garage door checked once every year. When you schedule an appointment with your garage door company, they will send a technician to test the safety of your door. They will also clean, replace and lubricate parts of the garage to ensure it will function smoothly and safetly.
You should also visually inspect your garage door on your own at least once a month. If you notice any broken or worn-out pieces, you should call a professional to inspect your door and replace the parts for you.
If you wait until you have problems with your garage door, you will have to schedule an emergency garage door maintenance. You should schedule a garage door maintenance appointment if you hear strange noises or see bent tracks or damaged rollers. A professional garage door company will provide a service to ensure your door works normally and safely again.
As a homeowner in southeastern Florida, you should also have the rest of your home inspected throughout the year. Your garage door and opener are just as important as the other mechanical systems in your house. Trust a licensed professional to test your garage door and diagnose potential problems before they happen.
Let The Doorman of Southeast Florida Help You Open Your Garage Door
Our team at The Doorman of Southeast Florida offers $39.95 garage door tune-ups for both preventive and emergency maintenance. We provide a thorough assessment of your garage door and electric garage door opener and offer sensible solutions for taking care of your garage door. We are an experienced licensed garage door company, servicing South Florida for over 25 years and also A+ Rated by Better Business Bureau. We are experienced and equipped to install, repair or replace your garage door.
All of our automatic garage doors are Windcode-rated to meet the local Hurricane code regulations and standards for hurricane resistance in Florida. We also provide Liftmaster brand garage door openers and other essentials for your automatic garage door.
As a Clopay® garage door distributor, we will provide you with a selection of the best quality garage doors in the United States. Contact us online or call us today at 561.600.9606 for a free estimate for your garage door installation. Our team of reliable, trustworthy professionals will ensure you will be safe and secure in your home with your new garage door.
