Broward County Certificate of Competency 20-WD-21968-X
Why does my garage door reverse right after it touches the floor?
A straight answer for Broward County homeowners, then what you can check yourself and when to call. Free estimate: (954) 906-1715.
Your opener thinks the door has hit an obstruction. The most common causes are a down-travel limit set too far, a close-force setting that is too sensitive, or something at the floor or bottom seal that adds resistance, such as debris, a swollen seal or an uneven slab.
The nuance: if the limit and force settings are right and the door still bounces back, the problem is usually mechanical. A door that is out of balance, a worn spring, or a bent or binding track makes the opener work harder than it should, and it reads that strain as an obstruction.
Why it happens
Every opener has a down limit (where it stops closing) and a force setting (how much resistance it tolerates before reversing). That reversal is a safety feature. If the limit is set so the door tries to travel past the floor, or the force is set low, the opener sees the floor itself as a blockage and reverses.
Broward's humidity and salt air also play a part. Bottom seals swell or stick, rollers and hinges corrode, and tracks pick up grit, all of which add drag right at the end of the close. Springs lose strength with age and heat, so the door gets heavier on the opener over time.
Impact-rated doors are heavier and more reinforced than standard doors. They depend on correct balance and hardware to run smoothly, so a reversing door is worth sorting out promptly rather than working around.
What you can check yourself
Clear the floor and the bottom seal
Look for pebbles, leaves, a lip of debris, or a bottom seal that has swollen, curled or stuck to the slab. Clean the area and see whether the door still reverses.
Check the photo-eye sensors
Wipe both lenses and make sure the indicator lights are steady, not blinking. A knocked or dirty sensor can also trigger a reversal.
Look at the tracks without touching the hardware
Check for visible dents, gaps or debris in the track and for rollers that look worn or rusted. Note what you see, but don't loosen or adjust brackets.
Review the opener's limit and force settings
Your opener's manual shows how to adjust the down limit and close force in small steps. Make a small change, test, and stop if the door still misbehaves.
When to call a pro
Call us if the door still reverses after you've cleared the floor and sensors, or if it looks crooked, sags on one side, feels heavy, or makes grinding or banging noises. Springs, cables and the hardware they connect to are under high tension, so we don't recommend adjusting them yourself. We hold Broward County Certificate of Competency 20-WD-21968-X, which covers windows, doors, shutters and garage doors.
Repairs to springs, hardware or the opener alone may not need a permit. Replacing the door usually does, because the door and its track and jamb anchorage are part of the building envelope. In the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, a replacement door needs an approval valid there, usually a Miami-Dade NOA, with an impact rating and a design pressure suited to the opening. Verify permit steps with your city's building department. If you live in a condo or HOA community, check the association's rules as well.
Impact Garage Doors work is done under Broward County Certificate of Competency 20-WD-21968-X (windows, doors, shutters & garage doors).
What a pro will do
- Test balance and travelWe check how the door moves, whether it holds its position, and whether the springs and cables are doing their job before touching any opener settings.
- Repair springs, cables, rollers, tracks and panelsWorn or corroded parts are replaced and bent track sections or damaged panels are corrected so the door closes without drag.
- Set up the opener correctlyWe reset the limits and force and test the reversing safety, or repair or replace the opener if it is failing.
- Assess whether the door is worth keepingIf the door is not rated for the HVHZ, we can walk you through a permitted replacement with an approved product, with inspections scheduled and the permit closed out.
Related questions
- Is it safe to keep using a door that reverses at the floor?
- The reversing feature is a safety system, so it's better to find the cause than to defeat it. Avoid forcing the door shut or turning the force up to its maximum. If it's unreliable, have a pro look at it.
- Does a garage door repair need a permit in Broward?
- Replacing a garage door generally does, while operator-only or spring and hardware repairs may not. Rules differ by city, so verify with your city's building department.
- Does an impact garage door matter for wind mitigation?
- The garage door is the largest opening in many homes, and opening protection is one category on Florida's wind-mitigation form OIR-B1-1802, completed by a licensed inspector. Florida law (s. 627.0629) requires insurers to offer discounts for wind-loss-mitigation features, but amounts vary by insurer. Our free Wind Mitigation Credit Checker can help you see where your home stands.
- Can salt air cause a garage door to malfunction?
- Yes. Near the coast or Intracoastal, salt air corrodes tracks, rollers, hinges and fasteners and can make a door bind. Regular cleaning and early part replacement help, and a pro can tell you what is worn.
Keep reading
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