How to Keep the Garage Door From Slamming

Clean any dust and debris from the garage door track that may be affecting the operation of the door. Wipe cobwebs and other debris from the photostatic sensors on either side of the door as well. Take care not to disturb the location of the sensors as you clean them.

Use the garage door’s remote control to see if cleaning the track and sensors stops the garage door slamming.

Hold the remote control in one hand while you lower the door. Catch the bottom of the door when it’s at waist height. The door should automatically reverse. If not, or it doesn’t reverse or is hard to hold, you need to decrease the down force.

Position a stepladder so you can easily read the back of the garage door opener. Locate the dials or screws labeled “Up Force” and “Down Force.” Using a screwdriver, turn the down force dial counterclockwise to decrease the force. Only make small, incremental changes. Run the door up and down.

Check the operation of the door as you did in Step 3. If it is still hard to hold, continue decreasing the pressure in small increments. Run the door through a cycle between each adjustment.