Of all the calls we get out to North Richland Hills, "the garage door will not close" is probably the most common, and the most likely to have a fix you can do yourself in five minutes. Before you call anybody (us included), check these in order.
1. Check the photo eyes (the safety sensors)
Look at the bottom of the tracks on either side of the door, about six inches off the ground. You will see two small plastic boxes facing each other. Those are the photo-eye safety sensors, and federal law has required them on every garage door opener since 1993.
Both boxes have an LED. One should be green (the sender), one should be either green or red (the receiver, depending on brand). If either light is off, blinking, or red on the receiver side, the opener will not let the door close. That is the safety system doing its job.
Common causes:
- Spider web or dust on the lens. Wipe with a dry cloth. We see this a lot in spring and fall.
- One sensor knocked out of alignment by a broom, a vacuum, or kids playing. Gently bend the bracket so the sensors point at each other.
- Sun glare. If your garage faces east or west, certain times of day can blind the receiver. Shade it with your hand briefly to test. If the door now closes, glare was the problem.
- Cable damaged or unplugged. Look for chewed wires (rodents love them), or a cable popped out of the back of the sensor.
2. Adjust the opener's "down force" setting
Photo eyes look fine but the door still will not close all the way? If the door starts to go down and reverses partway through, that is almost always the opener's down-force or travel-limit setting.
Modern openers have an obstruction-detection feature: if the door meets resistance on the way down, it assumes it hit something (a kid, a pet, a parked car) and reverses for safety. Over time, as the door's hardware wears or the seasons change the friction in the tracks, the door can hit normal resistance and trip the auto-reverse.
Most openers have an adjustment wheel or button labeled "Down Force." Turning it slightly increases tolerance. Check your specific opener's manual. If you cannot find the setting, or it does not help, you are looking at mechanical drag in the door (worn rollers, dry hinges, a bent track section). That is a service call.
3. Reset the travel limit
If the door goes almost all the way down and then pops back up at the very end of travel, the opener thinks it is already at the floor before it actually is. That is a "down travel limit" issue.
Same fix area on the opener: an adjustment dial or programmable button that tells the opener where the floor is. Bumping the limit a tiny bit lower usually solves it. Each brand is slightly different. Liftmaster, Genie, and Chamberlain all have their own programming sequences. The manual is your friend, or there is usually a YouTube walkthrough for your specific model.
What if my garage door still will not close?
If you have checked all three and the door still will not close, you are probably looking at one of these, and none of them are great DIY territory:
- A failing logic board in the opener, especially if the unit lights are flashing a code at you. Most openers in this state need a board swap or replacement.
- Worn rollers or dry hinges adding enough friction that no force adjustment will compensate without compromising safety. Good news: a roller replacement is a quick, cheap fix that quiets the door dramatically. We cover this on our roller replacement page.
- A cable starting to come off the drum on one side, causing the door to bind at one specific height. Do not keep operating it. That is how you bend tracks and panels. See our cable replacement page.
- An aging opener that needs replacement. If your unit is 15+ years old and acting up regularly, it may be time. Our opener replacement service covers what is involved.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my garage door close then immediately go back up?
Almost always one of two things: photo eyes that briefly lose alignment as the door reaches the floor, or a travel limit that is set slightly too low and trips the auto-reverse when the door bottoms out. Both are quick fixes.
Is it dangerous to keep using a garage door that will not close right?
Depends on what is wrong. If the door is binding mechanically (worn rollers, bent track), keep using it and you will cause more expensive damage. If it is a sensor or setting issue, it is annoying but not dangerous. The safety system is exactly what is preventing the close.
How much does a service call cost?
We charge a flat trip fee that gets credited toward the repair if you go ahead with it. Most "will not close" calls get diagnosed and fixed in the same visit. Call (817) 789-7039 for current pricing.
Need someone out today?
If none of the DIY checks work, give us a call at (817) 789-7039 or send a quick request. We are based in North Richland Hills, we cover the mid-cities (Keller, Hurst, Bedford, Watauga, Colleyville, Southlake), and we try to get out same-day for anything that is left a homeowner stuck.