The door jumped its track. Leave it where it stopped.

Signs this is your problem

• A boat trailer, a golf cart or a bumper clipped the side track, and now it's bent.
• Part of the door hangs into the garage while the rest sits in the opening.
• On one or both sides, rollers sit loose beside the track instead of in it.
• A cable on the same side has gone slack.
• After a windy storm, the door bowed in and now won't run.
• A roller is cracked or missing its wheel: see roller repair.

Fixing why it jumped

Rolling the door back into its track is the quick part. What matters is the reason: a bent track, a loose track bracket, a roller with a snapped stem, a slack cable or a door out of balance. The tech clamps the door, takes the spring tension off, guides the rollers back in and fixes that cause. A dented track can often be straightened in place, and if a section creased, panel replacement is one option on the table. Then the door runs open and closed several times and gets a balance check by hand.

After a storm

Strong wind against a closed door can bow it inward far enough to pull rollers from the track, even when nothing hit it. If that happens, don't run the opener. Text photos of both sides of the door, inside and out. While you're there, read the label on the inside. A wind-rated door lists the Florida Product Approval number there; the impact-rated doors page explains what it covers.

Hands off for now

• Don't run the opener. It pulls the door further out and can fold a section.
• Don't hammer or pry the rollers back in while the springs are wound. The door can shift or drop as a roller pops in.
• If the door leans inward, keep people and cars on the driveway side, out from under it.
• If you need the car that's inside, call first. We'll tell you whether it can come out safely.

Questions about a door off its track