Stuck garage door in Cranston? Start with one call.
Bay air, nor'easters and decades-old hardware are hard on garage doors around here. Tell us what yours is doing and we'll try to connect you with an independent local garage door technician.
- A short prompt asks your ZIP and what's wrong
- We'll try to connect you with an independent provider
- You agree on the work with them directly
Calls go to independent local providers
What is your door doing?
Tap the closest match. You'll see the likely cause, what's safe to try, and a link to the full guide.
01It won't openOpener runs, door stays put. Or nothing happens at all.
If the motor runs but the door doesn't move, the trolley may have been disconnected from the opener, or a spring may have broken. If nothing happens at all, check the outlet, the breaker and the lock button on the wall control first. If the door feels much heavier than usual, stop there and leave it closed.
02It won't close, or reverses halfwayUsually the safety sensors near the floor.
The two small sensors on either side of the opening fog up in humid weather and get knocked out of line by bikes, bins and snow shovels. Wipe both lenses with a dry cloth and look for two steady lights. If one is blinking, the pair isn't lined up.
03A loud bang, and now it's heavyThe classic sign of a broken torsion spring.
A torsion spring breaking sounds like a firecracker in the garage. Afterward the opener strains or gives up, and the door feels like it weighs a few hundred pounds. Don't lift it by hand and stop pressing the button.
04Crooked, or a cable hanging looseA cable came off its drum or a roller left the track.
A door that sits lower on one side, or a cable dangling beside the door, means one side has lost its support. In that state the door can drop or twist out of the opening. Stop using it, keep people and cars clear, and call.
05Grinding, squealing or stickingRusted rollers, hinges and brackets.
Homes close to the bay and the Pawtuxet River see more rust than most. Dry, rusted rollers grind, and corroded bottom brackets can weaken where the lift cable attaches. Noise alone isn't dangerous, but flaking metal near a cable is worth a look.
06Frozen to the floor after a stormThe bottom seal is locked in ice or slush.
After a nor'easter, meltwater runs under the door and refreezes overnight. Running the opener against a frozen seal can strip opener gears or pull a cable off its drum. Free the seal first with a plastic scraper or a hair dryer, never by forcing the door.
Bay air is rough on garage door hardware
Pawtuxet Village, Edgewood and the streets along the Pawtuxet River sit close enough to Narragansett Bay that damp, salty air gets into everything. Bottom brackets, cable ends and rollers rust from the floor up, and every winter the road salt that drips off cars speeds it along.
Rust on a bottom bracket matters more than it looks. That bracket holds the end of the lift cable, which carries the full pull of the springs. If you see flaking or swollen metal where the cable meets the door, have a technician look before it lets go. Our salt air and rust guide shows what to look for and what a technician will usually do about it.
Before you call: what's safe to check
A few garage door problems are simple. Others involve parts under enough tension to break a wrist. Here's where the line is.
Fine to check yourself
- Outlet, breaker and any GFCI reset in the garage
- Fresh batteries in the remote and the outside keypad
- Sensor lenses near the floor are clean and both lights are steady
- Ice, slush or salt crust along the bottom seal
- The lock or vacation button on the wall control is switched off
Leave these to a technician
- Anything touching the springs above or beside the door
- Lift cables and the bottom brackets they attach to
- Bent track, or a door that has come off it
- Lifting the door by hand after a spring breaks
- Pulling the red release cord while the door is open
Guides for every kind of garage door problem
Written for Cranston homes: the postwar capes and ranches, the older houses with detached garages, and the newer two-car garages out in Western Cranston.
How the call works
- You call (401) 498-DOORA short automated prompt asks for your ZIP code and what kind of help you need.
- We try to find someone localWe'll try to connect you with an independent garage door company that works in your area.
- You decideYou talk to the company directly. Any visit, timing and terms are between you and them.
More about how this referral line works. Shops and warehouses can call too: see commercial overhead doors.
Cranston neighborhoods and nearby towns
From the postwar capes and ranches around Garden City and Oaklawn to the older homes with detached garages in Edgewood and Knightsville, and the newer subdivisions in Western Cranston.
- Cranston 02910, 02920, 02921
- Johnston 02919
- Warwick 02886, 02888, 02889
- West Warwick 02893
- Coventry 02816
- North Providence 02911
- Providence 02905, 02907, 02908, 02909
- East Greenwich 02818
- Scituate, Foster, Smithfield, Lincoln 02857, 02825, 02917, 02865
Common questions
Are you a garage door company?
No. Cranston Garage Door is a referral line and information site. When you call, a short prompt asks your ZIP code and what's wrong, and we'll try to connect you with an independent garage door company that works in your area. You talk to them directly and decide whether to book. Here's how the line works.
Which towns does the line cover?
All of Cranston (02910, 02920 and 02921) plus Johnston, Warwick, West Warwick, Coventry, Scituate, North Providence, parts of Providence, East Greenwich, Smithfield, Foster and Lincoln. The service areas page has notes on each one.
My door won't open and my car is inside. What should I do first?
Check that the opener has power and that the lock button on the wall control isn't on. If the door feels far heavier than usual or you heard a bang, a spring has probably broken. Leave the door shut, don't pull the red release cord, and call.
Is it safe to fix a garage door myself?
Some checks are fine: batteries, power, sensor lenses, clearing ice from the bottom seal. Springs, cables and the brackets they attach to are not. They hold enough tension to cause serious injury. Our guide to talking with a company covers what to ask on the phone.
When can I call?
You can call any time. Whether a company picks up depends on which local providers are taking calls at that moment, so if no one is available the prompt will tell you and you can try again later.