How to Fix a Garage Door when it Becomes Detached

Garage doors coming off it’s tracks can cause serious damage to the door and it should stop operating immediately. A garage technician will be necessary to put the garage door back in its place on the tracks.

Door panels being straightened or replace is not an uncommon practice if this were to happen. It’s also possible to reattach the door yourself. Simply pop the garage door rollers back on the track before any damage has occurred. These steps should also help you do it yourself in the process.

• The door and garage opener door should be separated. The center of the door track should have a rope or handle dangling up top. To disengage the opener, reach up and pull the rope or handle.
• Partially raise the door and lift until one set of rollers aligns with the problem area on the garage door track. Secure the door in that area by fastening a pair of locking pliers on the track, below the bottom of the door.
• Open garage door track close to the rollers that was locked with the pair of pliers. Usually the track is wide enough to guide the wheels of the rollers back onto the track. Using a small block of wood against the outside edge of the track, close the opening of the track. The block can be used as a buffer while hammering the track straight with a wooden mallet.
• Remove locking pliers, lowering the door to the ground. Close the door by using the door openers remote control. As the opener is going through it’s usually motions, the door should be caught and the release mechanism will snap back into position, allowing the remote to work again.
• Test the door repeatedly by opening and closing the door. To ensure no issues, observe the rollers on both sides around the problem areas. If the rollers are dragging or catching, straight the track.

Things You Will Need

• A pair of locking pliers
• Small block of wood
• Wooden mallet
• Pliers

Tips

Removing debris from the track helps, along with lubricating the garage door rollers with silicone spray. This will extend the life of the garage door tracks.

The bolts that secure the garage door track should be secured. Make sure the bolts holding the sections of the door are together.

Garage door tracks are usually straight up or down, sometimes even plumb. Use a carpenter’s level to check and adjust if necessary. You can also adjust it by loosening the supporting brackets slightly, adjusting the track and retightening brackets.

Warning

The bottom bracket should not be altered or adjusted because of its connection to the spring system that is in charge of operating the door. Loosening this can cause serious bodily harm.

If you are not sure what to do near the bottom of the track, contact a professional.