When your garage door is not adjusted to the properly fit seal, you may notice several distinct annoyances.
1. Your garage is covered in twigs and leaves, and you often find tiny animals like chipmunks and mice.
2. Your garage door hits against the floor so forcefully that you worry that a window in the door, or even in the garage itself, will shatter into 100 pieces.
3. Your door won’t stay closed, but reverses open again as soon as it reaches the floor
Every one of these seemingly dissimilar annoyances result from an incorrect seal at the bottom of the door. When leaves and animals are able to enter underneath a closed garage door, the seal is not tight enough. When the garage door shuts with too much force, or opens back up, the seal is too tight.
If the seal is not snug enough, you have to look at the track. Some of the time the track could be bent, or something could possibly be lodged in the track, not allowing the garage door to completely close. If that’s the case, you have to straighten the track, or get rid of the obstruction. Then test the door. If it seals well, you’re done.
If the seal is still too loose, you have to make some adjustment to the limit switch. Additionally you will have to make adjustments to the limit switches if the pressure of the door is too strong. You will want a step ladder, a flat head screwdriver, and a partner.
Put the ladder under the motor console and locate the limit switches. You will see two white knobs with slots to put a flat head screwdriver. For the most part the limit switches are located at the back of the motor, although they are discovered around the light bulb on a few models.
Tell your helper to open the garage door. With the door in the up position, adjust the limit switch using your flat head screwdriver to rotate the close switch counterclockwise. Be sure to make your changes in very small increments. You need to allow the door to shut only an inch or so more, and you will need diligence to make the right adjustment. A complete turn of the limit switch will make a 3 inch change, and you won’t need nearly that much.
Ask your helper to close the door and to inspect the small opening. Repeat closing and opening the door while making changes in tiny increments until you are confident that you have a snug fit, neither too loose nor too tight.
Make sure to always use extreme caution when you are playing around with a garage door. It is a very heavy piece of equipment that could cause a serious accident if it is handled without care.
Toby Gibbon has been providing helpful information regarding Garage Door Repair Fairfax for many years. His expertise is the result of years of hands on experience in the garage door business. If you are having trouble with your door and would like some help he reccomends giving Garage Door Fairfax a call.
