The short answer
A door that has stopped moving is usually one component, not a failed door. Working through the obvious causes in order tells you quickly whether you need a part, a service, or a new door, and stops you paying for the wrong one.
- Check first
- Power, remote battery, safety photocells
- Never DIY
- Torsion springs, stored energy is dangerous
- Replace when
- Panel or frame corrosion, obsolete parts
Work through it in order
Start with power and the handset battery, then look at the safety photocells across the opening, a spider's web or a knocked bracket breaks the beam and the motor will refuse to close. Next check whether the door moves freely when disengaged from the motor. If it is heavy or drops, the balance is wrong and that is a spring issue.
If it moves freely by hand but the motor labours, the problem is the operator or its travel limits rather than the door.
- Motor hums but nothing moves, drive gear or carriage
- Door reverses just before closing, photocell alignment or force setting
- Loud bang then nothing, likely a broken spring
- Grinding on one side, track, roller or bent hinge
Springs are the one to leave alone
Torsion and extension springs hold a large amount of stored energy. Adjusting or replacing them without the correct bars and clamps causes serious injuries every year. If your door has dropped, feels enormously heavy or made a bang, stop using it and get someone with the right tools.
Repair or replace
Repair makes sense when the door itself is sound: the panels are straight, the frame is solid and parts are available. Replacement becomes the better value when the door is a corroded up-and-over on obsolete gear, when insulation matters because the garage is becoming a gym or workshop, or when you want a motorised door with modern safety features.
A roller or sectional replacement also reclaims the driveway space an up-and-over swings into, which is often the real reason people change.
What we fit
We supply and install motorised roller and sectional doors, surveyed in person for the opening, lintel and headroom you actually have. Where a repair is the sensible answer we will say so rather than quote a replacement you do not need.
Common questions
Why does my garage door reverse before it closes?
Usually a photocell that is misaligned or obstructed, or a closing force setting that is too sensitive. Clean the lenses and check the brackets are square before assuming a motor fault.
Can a broken spring be repaired?
Springs are replaced rather than repaired, and it is a job for someone with the correct winding bars. Do not attempt it with hand tools.
Is it worth motorising an old up-and-over door?
Only if the door and frame are in good condition. If the panel is corroded or the balance is poor, the money is better put towards a new insulated roller or sectional door.
How much headroom does a roller door need?
It depends on the barrel size and the fitting method, which is why we measure the lintel and internal headroom on site rather than quoting from a doorway width.