While your remote is usually a reliable garage door opener, sometimes, it stops working. If your automatic garage door stops working, don’t worry — you can manually open your door with a few simple steps.
Understanding how to open and close your garage door manually will help you keep your home secure until you can find a fix. Manually opening your garage door will let you get in and out easily without having to worry about hurting yourself. Use this guide to help you manually work your garage door and troubleshoot the issues keeping it from operating automatically.
How to Manually Open and Close Your Garage Door Without a Remote
A garage door remote makes opening the garage door simple. However, they can experience problems occasionally, leaving you without an easy way to get in and out of your garage. Knowing how to open your garage door manually from the inside and outside will let you keep using your garage door while you wait for a specialist to arrive.
How to Manually Close Your Garage Door From Inside
Opening your garage door from the inside is easy. Just take your time, and ensure the door isn’t moving when you go under it. Follow these steps to open and close your garage door from the inside manually:
Get the door unlocked: Look around your garage door for any locks before you try to open the garage door. If you have locks, open them so you can open the door smoothly.
Unplug the door opener: Pull your automatic garage door opener’s power cord. Make sure it’s disconnected so you can safely open the door.
Pull the release cord: Find your door’s emergency release cord. It’s typically a red cord and handle that hangs from the middle of your garage door track along the ceiling. Pull the red cord so your garage door disconnects from the automatic opener — this lets you use the door manually.
Raise your garage door: Grab your garage door handle, and pull the door as far up as possible. Stand back and let it open up — avoid standing under the garage door to prevent the door from closing on you unexpectedly. After it’s rolled up and still, you can exit or take your car out.
Lower the door: Once you’re outside, you can pull the garage door back down. Once it’s fully closed, lock it if you can. Ensure you guide the door into position without forcing it down.
Pull the release cord again: If you can get back inside, pull the emergency release cord again once you’ve got the door where you want it. This reengages the garage door opener.
How to Manually Open and Close Your Garage Door From Outside
When you’re coming home, all you want to do is pull into your garage and get inside. A faulty automatic garage door can make that process much more inconvenient. Luckily, you can open your garage door from the outside manually. Follow these steps:
Use the emergency release kit: If you can’t get into your garage without the garage door, you’ll need access to the emergency release kit. It’s a lock that’s on the top, bottom or one of the sides of the door, depending on your model. You’ll also need the emergency release kit key to get into the door. Use the key to unlock the manual release.
Pull the release cord: Once you’ve unlocked the emergency release kit, pull the red emergency release cord to disengage the automatic opener.
Lift the door: Carefully lift the garage door up with both hands. Push it as high as it will go and step back to make sure it stays put. After you’ve gotten it open, you can enter the garage.
Close the door: Gently lower the garage door manually until it’s completely closed.
Pull the release cord again: Pull the emergency release cord once again to reengage the automatic opener.
Why Can’t I Manually Open My Garage Door?
If you’ve tried to open your garage door manually and you can’t get it, you can do some troubleshooting. Remember that garage doors can be dangerous — if you feel uncomfortable with these troubleshooting steps, contact a garage door professional to fix your garage door safely. While you should avoid dealing with the more dangerous parts of your garage door yourself, here are some troubleshooting tips you can test before calling in an expert:
Try the emergency release: Make sure you pull your emergency release cord. Without engaging the release, the door stays connected to your automatic opener. With the automatic opener connected, you won’t be able to use the door manually.
Check your lock mechanism: If your door has an exterior locking mechanism, it can prevent the door from opening. Use your key to unlock it so you can use the garage door.
Inspect the springs: Avoid touching the springs — they can be dangerous. Instead, inspect them for any damage or broken sections. Your garage door relies on the springs to help it lift and lower. If they’re damaged, the door might be unable to lift. If you spot an issue with your garage door springs, contact a professional. They’ll safely and efficiently address your garage door, getting it back in working order.
Look at the tracks: Sometimes, your garage door tracks or rollers can get misaligned or broken. This issue might stop your garage door from opening correctly. See if there are any issues with the tracks, and call a professional if you spot a problem.
If you can’t figure out what’s wrong with your garage door, get in touch with Viking Overhead. We have the skills and tools needed to inspect and repair your garage door problems safely. Automatic openers can have issues, and our professionals can get yours working again, letting you go in and out of your garage easily.
