Overhead Garage Door Sticking? Problems and Solutions

13 December 2016
 Categories: Construction & Contractors, Blog


If you own a company fleet, you may have a large garage in which to house your vehicles.  Although commercially supplied and professionally fitted overhead automatic doors are generally reliable and long-lasting, problems do occur from time to time when the door starts to stick.  So, why does this happen and how can you solve the problem?  Read on for some helpful information.

Overhead automatic door maintenance

Overhead doors that are used in commercial premises tend to come in for pretty heavy use on a daily basis.  This can make them vulnerable to problems caused by simple wear and tear, leading to the door malfunctioning without warning, causing disruption to your business operation. 

You can circumvent this by having your commercial garage doors regularly serviced by a qualified contractor.

Common causes of sticking overhead doors

  1. Automatic doors are operated either by motion sensors positioned on each side of the doors or in floor mats.  If one or both of the sensors develop a fault, the door will give the illusion of sticking.  Check to make sure that the sensors are not obstructed and wipe the 'eye' over with a damp cloth to make sure that it's clean.  If the problem persists, call a maintenance contractor.  
  2. Sometimes a door may stick because of an accumulation of dust and debris in the tracks on which it runs.  This is easily fixed by giving the runners a good clean out, using a stiff brush.  
  3. If the door becomes damaged in high winds so that the frame twists or warps, it may no longer fit into the frame properly, and this will cause it to stick.  You may be able to have the door repaired professionally, although replacement could be the only option in the case of severe damage.  
  4. Automatic doors have a disconnect switch.  This is a safety feature that allows you to open and close the doors manually in the event of a power failure.  The disconnect switch can become accidentally disconnected or unhooked, meaning that your door will open automatically, but it won't close.  The problem is pretty easily rectified, but it's best to have the disconnect switch looked at by a professional contractor, rather than trying to tackle the problem yourself.

In conclusion

If your overhead automatic commercial garage door starts to stick, you may be able to fix the problem yourself quite easily.  If not, you should contact your supplier or a professional contractor, such as Nu-Look Glass & Aluminium Windows, to remedy the problem for you.


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