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You press the button and your garage door starts to close — then reverses back up. Or it won't move at all. This is one of the most frustrating garage door problems, and also one of the most common calls we get. The good news: several of these causes have simple fixes you can try yourself before calling a technician.

1. Misaligned Safety Sensors

This is the number one reason garage doors refuse to close, and it's the easiest to fix. Every garage door made after 1993 has two safety sensors (photo eyes) mounted near the floor on either side of the door opening. They project an invisible beam across the opening — if something breaks that beam, the door won't close.

How to check: Look at both sensors. One should have a steady green light, the other a steady amber/orange light. If either light is blinking, the sensors are misaligned.

How to fix: Gently adjust the blinking sensor until both lights are steady. The sensors are usually held by a wing nut on a bracket — loosen it slightly, aim the sensor at its partner across the opening, and retighten. Also clean both sensor lenses with a soft cloth — dust, cobwebs, and dirt can block the beam.

2. Something Is Blocking the Sensors

Even if the sensors are aligned, anything blocking the beam will prevent the door from closing. Common culprits: a broom leaning against the wall, a trash can slightly too close, a child's toy, or even a spider web across the lens.

How to fix: Clear the area around both sensors. Make sure nothing within 6 inches of the sensor could be blocking or reflecting the beam. Direct sunlight hitting the sensor can also cause false readings — if the problem only happens at certain times of day, try shading the sensor with a small piece of cardboard.

3. Broken Torsion Spring

If you heard a loud bang from the garage and now the door won't budge — or it lifts a few inches then stops — you likely have a broken spring. Look at the torsion spring above the door (the thick metal coil on the horizontal shaft). If you see a gap in the coil, the spring has snapped.

How to fix: This is NOT a DIY repair. Torsion springs are under extreme tension and can cause serious injury. Call a licensed technician. Spring replacement typically costs $150-350 for a pair and takes under an hour. If you're in the Houston, Phoenix, or Dallas area, call 855-335-5508 for same-day service.

4. The Close-Force Setting Needs Adjustment

Your garage door opener has two force settings: open-force and close-force. If the close-force is set too low, the opener thinks it's hitting an obstruction and reverses — even when the path is clear.

How to fix: Locate the force adjustment screws or dials on your opener unit (usually on the back or side). There will be two — one for up-force, one for down-force. Turn the down-force dial slightly clockwise (about a quarter turn) and test. Repeat until the door closes fully without reversing. Be careful not to over-tighten — the door should still reverse if it hits a real obstruction.

5. The Travel Limit Is Set Wrong

The travel limit tells the opener how far the door needs to move to reach the fully closed position. If the limit is set too short, the opener thinks the door is closed before it actually reaches the ground — then the safety system triggers a reversal because the door "hit something" (the ground).

How to fix: Find the travel limit adjustment on your opener (usually near the force settings). Increase the down-travel limit in small increments. The door should close fully with the bottom rubber seal compressed slightly against the floor.

6. Damaged or Bent Track

If your garage door gets stuck partway down, look at the metal tracks on both sides. A bent track, a loose bracket, or debris in the track can prevent the rollers from moving smoothly. When the opener meets too much resistance, it reverses.

How to check: Run your hand along the inside of both tracks (with the door up and the opener disconnected). Feel for bends, dents, or gaps. Look for loose bolts on the track brackets. Check for small stones, leaves, or hardened grease buildup.

How to fix: Minor debris can be cleaned out. Loose brackets can be retightened. But if the track itself is bent, call a professional — improperly straightened tracks can cause the door to come off its tracks entirely, which is dangerous and expensive.

7. Dead Remote or Wall Button Wiring

Sometimes the problem isn't the door — it's the signal. If the door won't respond to your remote but works fine from the wall button, replace the remote's battery. If it won't respond to either, check the wall button wiring. Over time, the low-voltage wire connecting the wall button to the opener can loosen, corrode, or get damaged (especially in garages where it's stapled along walls and someone accidentally pulls it).

How to fix: For remotes, replace the battery (usually a CR2032 coin cell). For wall buttons, check that the two wires on the back are securely connected to both the button terminal and the opener terminal. If the wires are corroded, strip back a quarter-inch of fresh wire and reconnect.

When to Call a Professional

Try the sensor alignment, remote battery, and force/limit adjustments yourself — those are safe and free. But for broken springs, bent tracks, cable issues, or anything involving the torsion system, call a licensed technician. The risk of injury or making the problem worse isn't worth the savings.

At Garage Door Home Pros, we provide free diagnostics in Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Denver, and all 98 cities we serve. Call 855-335-5508 and we'll have a tech at your door — usually the same day.

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