Automated garage doors are supposed to make life easier for homeowners, and they do. That is, until they stop working. One common problem homeowners run into with their garages is the door won't close for some unknown reason. Here are two things that could be causing the problem and how to fix them.

The Photo Eyes are Dirty or Misaligned

To prevent injuries or property damage caused by having the garage door close at an inopportune time, many modern garage doors use light beams to detect when something may be present in the door. On either side of the door sits an eye and a light is transmitted between them. If something breaks the connection between the eyes, the garage door won't close or will stop moving if it's in the process of closing.

Over time, however, these eyes will become dirty due to environmental elements. In other cases, they will become misaligned because the house settled or there was damage to the garage's frame. Using your owner's manual—or help from the internet—locate the eyes on your garage door and gently clean them using a soft cloth. If the garage door still won't close, check the height of each eye to see if they're level with each other.

You may be able to realign the eyes if they're only a few centimeters off. However, it's best to call a garage door repair company to fix the issue if the eyes are off by quite a bit.

The Track is Misaligned

Another reason why the garage door won't close is because the tracks are misaligned. The tracks help guides the door open and closed. If they're not aligned property, the door may be tilted off-centered and unable to close because it's getting caught on something.

Visually inspect the tracks for gaps in the rollers, bends in the rails, or a difference in height between the tracks. Uneven tracks are typically caused by loose screws, so make sure the screws connecting the tracks to the wall and ceiling are tight. However, gaps in the rollers and bent rails must be fixed by a professional and/or replaced completely.

There are many other things that could cause your garage door to stop closing property. If neither of these issues apply, contact a local garage door repair company for assistance with diagnosing and fixing the issue, so you can enjoy the convenience of being able to use your automatic garage door again.