Garage doors lockout
Blog Post
There are many possible reasons for a garage door lockout. You might have misplaced the remote. Or, maybe you’re dealing with a garage door that is unresponsive, or can’t complete a full opening cycle. And no matter what the underlying problem is, we can bet that you just want to fix the problem fast so that you can come home and relax.
In this article, we’ll talk about some helpful DIY fixes that you can try to restore access to your garage, plus how to know when it’s necessary to call in the pros. And if the situation does warrant a professional eye, you can call our team at L.A.N Locksmith out to your home in Louisville KY to take a closer look.
How to manually open the garage door
In the case of a garage door lockout, you may be able to manually open the door to gain temporary access to your door. This will at least allow you to park inside overnight or while you wait for a technician to arrive on scene.
Here are the steps for opening a garage door manually from the inside:
- Make sure that the garage door is in a closed position. If the door is slightly or fully open and there’s a problem with the torsion spring, disengaging the door with this method could lead to the door slamming shut, which is highly dangerous.
- Unplug the garage door opener
- Find and pull the emergency release cord. You’ll be able to identify a red cord along the overhead railing near the door. Pulling the cord will disengage the garage door opener so that the door can be moved manually.
- Attempt to lift the door manually. Now, if the torsion spring is working properly, you should be able to move the garage door along the track without too much force. But, if the garage door is impossible to lift, it means that the torsion spring is not working, and you’ll need to call a garage door specialist. Do not attempt to open or close the door in this case.
DIY fixes for common garage door problems
Some causes of garage door lockouts can be fixed without the help of a technician. So, before calling a pro, you can try out these DIY maintenance tasks to try to get your garage door back in working condition:
- Change the battery on the remote. This is one of the most common and easy-to-fix reasons for a garage door lockout. So, start with swapping out the batteries!
- Make sure that your garage door tracks are clean, free of debris, and lubricated. Sometimes, garage doors will get stuck in position because of debris along the track. Carefully inspect, clean and lubricate these components so that your garage door can move freely.
When to call a professional for a garage door lockout
There are some circumstances in which it will be necessary to call a professional to help with your lockout, such as:
- You lost the key to a lock, deadbolt, or latch installed on the garage door. If your garage door is physically locked and you don’t have access to the key, we can rekey the lock to restore access and security.
- Your garage door is slamming shut or can’t be opened manually. As we mentioned, this is a sign that there is a problem with the torsion spring of your garage door. Because of the risk of bodily injury, it’s always recommended that you rely on a technician to fix this kind of garage door lockout.
- Your door lockout is an electrical issue. Maybe you noticed that rodents have been chewing on the electrical wiring on your garage door opener or you’ve been experiencing surges or other electrical issues. This is a sign that you need to get a specialist in to safely restore the power source for your garage door.
- You need a new garage door remote. If you lost your remote, or are having issues with your remote after water or physical damage, a professional can get you a new one and reprogram it to your garage door opener.
Call L.A.N Locksmith for garage door security upgrades!
We can help with garage door security needs that go beyond lockouts! Ask us about lock installation for your garage, as well as locks for the exterior doors that access your garage or link your garage to the rest of your home. We can also help with smart home installation to integrate your garage door opener with the rest of your home security.
L.A.N Locksmith offers services throughout the Louisville KY area and parts of Indiana, so call us out to your home or office in Fern Creek, Charlestown, Shelbyville and more!
