Start by keeping people and cars clear, then check the simple causes: something blocking the photo eyes, dirty or knocked lenses, debris on the safety edge or a tripped breaker. If the door still reverses or won't close, call for repair and ask whether it can be set to stay closed or run manually so the parkade is secure while parts are found. Tell residents what is happening and how to get in and out.
First, make it safe
A parkade door that will not close is a security problem. A door that keeps reversing can also be a safety problem, because it may be telling you something is wrong with the devices meant to stop it closing on a car or a person.
Before anything else:
- Keep residents and vehicles from driving or walking under the door while it is acting up.
- If you heard a loud bang, see a loose or hanging cable, or the door is sitting crooked, stop using it completely. That points to a broken spring or cable, and the door could drop.
- Do not prop, chain or wedge the door, and do not try to force it down by hand.
Why parkade doors reverse or stop part way
Parkade doors at strata towers around Metrotown, Brentwood and Lougheed open and close many times a day. That heavy use, plus wet weather, wears the parts that tell the door when to stop.
Photo eyes
The two small sensors near the bottom of the opening send a beam across the entry. If the beam is broken, the door reverses. A lens covered in road grime, a sensor knocked out of line by a bumper, a wet leaf stuck to the housing or a loose wire can all make the door think something is in the way.
The safety edge
Many parkade doors have a rubber edge along the bottom that reverses the door on contact. When that edge gets torn, worn or waterlogged, it can send a false signal. In the autumn rain, a damaged edge that holds water is a common cause of a door that reverses for no clear reason.
Travel limits that have drifted
The operator is set to stop at the top and bottom of the door's travel. Over time those settings can drift. If the door thinks it has hit something before it reaches the floor, it reverses.
Mechanical drag
Worn rollers, bent track or a door that is out of balance makes the operator work harder. Some operators read that extra effort as an obstruction and reverse. Wetter areas such as Capitol Hill and Burnaby Mountain stay damp longer, and that wears rollers and hardware.
What you or the building manager can safely check
These checks need no tools and do not involve touching springs, cables or the operator's internals.
- Look for anything in the path of the beam or the door: a recycling bin, a pylon, leaves, a bike.
- Wipe both photo eye lenses with a soft dry cloth.
- Check that each sensor's small indicator light is steady, if it has one. A blinking or dark light usually means they are out of line or not getting power.
- Look along the bottom edge for tears or a section hanging loose.
- Check whether a breaker for the door has tripped, if you know where it is and can reach it safely.
Do not tape over, unplug or bypass a photo eye or safety edge to get the door closing again. Those devices are there so the door does not come down on a car or a person.
Securing the building while it is fixed
In most cases the door can be set to stay closed or be run manually, so the parkade stays secure until the repair is done. When you call for repair, ask about this first, especially if parts have to be ordered.
If the door is stuck open overnight, think about where residents' cars and storage lockers are and whether the building needs extra checks until it is closed. Many strata buildings already have a plan for this. If yours does not, this is a good moment to write one.
Telling residents
A short notice in the lobby, elevators and by email heads off a lot of calls. Include:
- What is wrong in plain words, such as the parkade door is not closing properly.
- Whether the door is running, secured closed or on manual operation.
- How residents should get in and out in the meantime.
- When the repair is booked and roughly how long the door will be out of use.
- Who to contact if they see the door stuck or moving oddly.
What to have ready when you call
Have the address and parkade location, the door type, the operator brand if you know it, a description of what it does, and a short video if you can get one from a safe distance. Quotes can go to the council or the manager. Most operator, sensor and safety-edge repairs take a few hours, longer if parts are on order.
If fobs or remotes are part of the problem, the issue may be at the receiver or wiring at the door. The fob system itself is looked after by the building's access-control company.
When to bring in a professional
If the simple checks above do not get the door closing normally, or if the door has a broken spring, a loose cable or vehicle damage, it is time to call for repair. A door that reverses now and then is also worth having looked at before it becomes a door that sticks open on a wet Friday night. Regular service on busy parkade doors catches worn parts before they leave the building unsecured.