Short answer
If your garage door goes down and then back up, look at the opener light. If it blinks, the safety sensors are blocked or out of line. If not, clear anything on the floor where the door lands, like ice, leaves or stones. Still reversing? Adjust the down limit a little, following your manual. Then test it: the door must reverse when it touches a board laid flat.
Safety first
Use a sturdy step ladder to reach the motor. Never turn up the force setting to make the door close: it is part of what makes the door reverse when it hits someone.
What to check when the garage door won’t stay closed
1It touches the floor and goes back up
The opener thinks the door hit something, so it reverses. The floor, the sensors or the settings can set off that safety feature.
Read all the steps
- It touches the floor and goes back up. The opener thinks the door hit something, so it reverses. The floor, the sensors or the settings can set off that safety feature.
- Check the sensor lights first. If the door reverses before reaching the floor and the opener light blinks, the safety sensors are the problem. Clean them and line them up.
- Clear the spot where the door lands. Sweep away stones, leaves, ice or a toy at the doorway. Even a small lump can make the opener think it hit something.
- Adjust the down limit a little. From a step ladder, find the limit screws or buttons on the motor. Make a small change so the door stops right at the floor. Follow the manual.
- Test it with a board on the floor. Lay a 2x4 flat in the middle of the doorway and close the door. When it touches the board, it must go back up.
- Remove the board: it stays closed. Close the door again without the board. Repeat the board test once a month: it takes one minute.
- Still not fixed? Call a garage door company Especially if: the door does not go back up in the board test.
Garage doors near you
Share your location and we will show the nearest ones with their phone number.
Or pick your city:
Before or after it touches the floor?
- Before the floor, with the light blinking: the safety sensors near the floor.
- Right after it touches the floor: something on the floor, or the down limit is set too far.
- Partway down, at the same spot every time: something rubs or binds. Look for a bent track or a damaged roller.
- Only in cold weather: stiff, dry parts. Lubricate the hinges and rollers.
What not to do
- Do not turn up the force setting to make it close. The door could then close on a person, a pet or a car without reversing.
- Do not tape over the sensors or move them to stop the reversing.
- Do not adjust the springs or the cables.
When to call a garage door technician
- The door does not go back up in the board test.
- It still reverses after you clear the floor, check the sensors and adjust the limit.
- It catches or stops at the same spot on the way down.
- You see a bent track, a broken roller or a frayed cable.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my garage door go down and then back up?
The opener thinks the door hit something. The usual causes are the safety sensors, something on the floor, a down limit set too far, or the door binding in the track.
How do I adjust the down limit on my garage door?
It depends on the opener: older ones have limit screws on the motor, newer ones have buttons. Make small changes and test after each one, following the manual for your model.
How do I test the safety reverse on my garage door?
Lay a 2x4 flat on the floor in the middle of the doorway and close the door. It must reverse when it touches the board. If it does not, stop using the opener and call a technician.
Why does my garage door reverse when it touches the floor?
Usually ice, debris or a raised spot on the floor, or a down limit set past the floor. Clear the floor first, then adjust the limit a little.
Can cold weather make my garage door reverse?
Yes. Cold makes the parts stiff, and the opener can read the extra effort as an obstacle. Lubricate the hinges and rollers and check that nothing is frozen to the floor.
Should I increase the force on my garage door opener?
No, not to make it close. The force setting is part of what makes the door reverse when it hits something. Find the real cause or call a technician.