Garage door & gate answers for Tampa Bay homes
Practical write-ups on the garage door and gate problems we get called about most, written for Tampa Bay homes and weather. Each one lists the checks you can make yourself. It also marks the parts that are off limits and the point where a technician should take over.
- Fully insured
Serving all of Tampa Bay
Door won’t close
Door starts down, then bounces back up? The usual causes, from blocked safety sensors to drifted limits, and safe checks.
Read moreDoor won’t open
Door stuck shut with the car inside? Power, lock mode, a snapped spring or a stripped gear, and how to tell which.
Read moreBroken spring
That bang from the garage was probably a spring. The signs, the risk of lifting the door, and what the repair involves.
Read moreMaintenance checklist
Monthly and seasonal checks for a door that lives with heat, humidity and salt air, and what to leave for a technician.
Read moreGate won’t open
Why driveway gates stay shut: power, remotes, safety sensors and worn hardware, plus what you can check safely first.
Read moreGate opener power
Why gate opener batteries and solar panels fall short in Tampa Bay, and what heat, shade and storms do to them.
Read moreHurricane checklist
Before, during and after a storm: getting the garage door ready for hurricane season and what to check once the wind drops.
Read morePower outage
The red release cord, the spring check to do first, and how to hand control back to the opener once the lights return.
Read moreWind rules
The 140 mph line, Pinellas at 145 mph, reading your door’s wind label, and why every repair keeps the bracing.
Read moreSalt air
Why homes near the water see more rust on springs, cables and rollers, and a simple routine that slows it down.
Read moreHOA rules
What homeowners associations usually control about a garage door, what a repair changes, and when to ask before work starts.
Read moreSpring types
One spring on a bar above the door, or two along the ceiling? How to tell, and what each type means for repairs.
Read morePicking an opener
Chain, belt or wall-mount, battery backup, app control: what matters in an opener, and why a repair check comes first.
Read moreWarning signs
Noises, shudders, gaps and slow starts: the warnings that come before a door fails, and what each one points to.
Read moreStart with what the door or gate is doing
Door stops short or bounces back up? Read why a door won't close. If it stays shut, start with a door that won't open. Heard a bang first? Go to how to tell a spring broke. With the power out, opening the door by hand covers the release cord. For a driveway gate that sits still, see gate won't open and gate opener power.
Safe checks and the parts to leave alone
Looking and listening are always safe. So are wiping the safety eye lenses, checking the lock button on the wall control and changing a remote battery. The red release cord is fine as long as the door is fully closed when you pull it. A gate operator's manual release is fine too, done exactly as its own manual says.
Springs, lift cables, the bottom brackets they hook onto and a gate operator's arm all carry stored force. None of these answers will tell you to loosen, adjust or remove them, and we ask you not to try.
When reading is not enough
If the checks in an answer change nothing, or the door looks crooked or heavy, stop and book a repair. Write what you tried in the note. The technician then starts from there instead of repeating it.
Book your repair in 3 taps
Choose the door or gate problem, pick when works and leave your number. We call you back to set the time.
- Door or gate?
- When works?
- Where and who
Not sure what broke?Choose “Something else” and tell us what the door or gate is doing.
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