Garage Door Trivia Edit page

Riverwoods Garage Door Information

Opening/closing garage doors during a blackout:  Most garage door openers in Riverwoods have a red cord hanging down between the door and the door opener on the ceiling.  If you pull that cord, it disengages a hook from the garage door opener mechanism.  You can then open and close the door from the inside or outside freely by hand; the garage door opener chain will turn if the button is pushed, but the door won’t move. In order to re-engage the door to the garage door opener chain, you can use a broomstick to push the hook back upward so that it reconnects with the chain.

You can lock your garage door by turning the handle on the inside or the outside.  If locked, you’ll have to go back in the house and into the garage to unlock it.

Garage Door Openers: You can purchase additional garage door openers for most brands – even old ones -- online. Just search for the model number of the garage door opener.  They’re easy to program.

Garage Door Sensors: There is a light sensor mechanism at the bottom of the garage door opening. On one side is an infa-red light and on the other side there is a light receiver.  If your garage door pops back up when you try to close it, check to ensure that the path between the lights isn’t blocked.

If the garage door sensors fail or get dirty, you can only close the garage door by holding the button down until the door drops all the way. If your garage door keeps bouncing back up when you try to close it, try cleaning the sensor lenses on both sides. If the problem continues, and the path is not blocked, try realigning the sensors.  If this doesn’t work, try replacing the sensors. This takes a few minutes and it’s easy, but it should be done by someone who knows what they’re doing. Sensors cost under $25 and can be found online.

Replacing Garage Door Panels: Although windows and doors are generally the home owner’s responsibility, garage doors are maintained by the Riverwoods Community Association. The garage door mechanism (anything inside the garage) is the home owner’s responsibility.