If you are locked out of your garage, it can be a difficult task to get inside. There are two causes
for this and two ways to solve this problem. The first situation is if the garage door operator has
stopped functioning and will not open the garage door. Or you simply don’t have a remote or
way to open the door, but you know the door opens and closes all the way. The second is when
a spring has failed or some other situation is only allowing the door to open 5″-6″ inches.
In the first situation, when the operator is malfunctioning or you have no remote to open the
door, the following steps will allow you to gain access to the garage.
1. Using a hole saw you will cut a hole through the aluminum skin and through the spine
near the top of the top section in the center of the garage door.
2. Using a spider tool reach through the hole you just cut, and grab the red emergency
release rope or handle and pull it down to disengage the door from the operator.
3. With the door now disengaged from the opener you can manually raise the door.
4. You will need to install a vault look. The vault lock will fill the hole you just cut and
provide you with a way to access your garage in the case of future emergencies.
5. You will need to use the vault lock brackets as a template to drill two more holes to hold
the vault lock in place.
6. After the holes are drilled, bolt the vault lock in place.
7. Attach the cable from the vault lock to the red emergency release handle or rope to
allow for emergency opening with a key.
You have now gained access to your garage and installed a vault lock that provides you the
ability to access your garage in similar emergencies in the future.
It is recommended that you use a garage door technician so as not to cause unnecessary
damage to the garage door.
The second situation is more difficult and should be done only by a garage door service
technician. In this situation, allow the opener to open the door as far as it will open it.
1. Choose a side of the garage to enter through. Pick the side that will allow you the most
room to crawl in.
2. Remove only the bottom roller from the side of the door you chose. Remove only the
roller from the bottom bracket, not the entire bottom bracket. Removing the bottom
bracket will cause the cable to unwind from the drum, creating a larger problem.
3. After removing the roller from the bottom bracket, push the door in allowing you to
crawl inside the garage. Do not attempt to pull the door out as this will cause damage
to the garage door.
Now that you are inside the garage you can evaluate the door and make the necessary repairs
Using the access point you created to get tools and parts inside the garage. Once repairs are
completed you can raise the door and reinstall the roller into the bottom bracket.
In the second scenario it is highly recommended you call a garage door technician to access
the garage and make needed repairs. Garage doors are very dangerous and can cause serious
damage even death if proper techniques and safety procedures are not followed.
