Last Updated on April 12, 2023
If you’ve ever been in a predicament where the doors to your garage are closed, and there’s seemingly no way inside, fear not. A simple emergency release kit is all that’s needed. With just this one small item in hand, you can manually open up from either side of the door and escape any sticky situation.
But, it is important to learn how to use this emergency kit correctly when lifting the garage door. The process is straightforward but must be followed closely to ensure that your garage door opens properly and that you do not damage it.
To begin, you must locate the emergency release lock and key and then unlock both the cord and manual locks on either side of the door.
Learn all about lifting a garage and staying safe while doing it. Read this blog post for more details.
How Can You Lift Garage Door From Outside: 5 Steps
In the event of a power outage or other situations, it is important to know how to manually lift your garage door from the outside. Following a few simple steps, you can easily open your garage door even when the power is out.
From the outside, here’s how to lift a garage door:
Step 1: Find the Emergency Release Lock And Key
Before lifting the door from the outside, you’ll need to locate the emergency release lock. It is usually flush with your garage door so that it blends in with its surroundings.
To ensure that you’re looking at the right spot, check around or near any handles or hinges on your garage door. That’s where you should be able to locate it. Once you’ve found it, grab its corresponding key and proceed to step two.
Step 2: Unlock the Emergency Release Cord
Whenever you have located this emergency key switch and inserted it into the slot, turn it counterclockwise until you hear a loud click. This releases tension in the cords so that they become loose and can easily be pulled up to open the door manually.
Make sure that both sides of the emergency cord are completely loosened before attempting to open it.
Step 3: Unlock the Manual Lock and Turn the Handle
After unlocking your emergency release red cord, locate the manual lock above your handle. This is what will allow you to detach your opener from its track system completely and free up some space for you to operate it manually.
Use the key you used in step 2. Turn it to the left at least three times before pulling down on both sides of your handle. Do this until they are not attached to anything and can move without being held back by anything else nearby.
Step 4: Lift the Garage Door Manually
Now that everything is unlocked and secure, it’s time to manually lift up your garage door. Bend down so that you are at a comfortable height, and then grab onto both sides of the bottom of your door firmly with both hands.
Begin by slowly lifting up your garage door as evenly as possible until it is fully off its tracks and open in front of you.
Step 5: Close the Garage Door Behind Your Car
After you get your garage door up from the outside, make sure to close it behind your car as soon as you get inside by letting go and letting gravity take care of it. Just ensure nothing gets caught underneath in case someone needs access shortly after.
And finally, once everything is locked up and secure again, use the same key used previously in Step 3 and relock both locks.
Safety Tips When Manually Opening Your Garage Door
Regarding manual garage door openers, there are potential safety risks that can be avoided with just a few simple steps. Keep these garage door tips in mind when manually opening the door to protect your vehicles and belongings.
Test Your Reversal System
The reversal system is a built-in mechanism designed to automatically reverse the door’s movement if it encounters an obstruction during operation. Before using any manual garage door opener, test this feature by placing a board in its path and pressing the close button.
Inspect Tracks, Rollers, and Hinges
This procedure should be done regularly (at least once every 3 months) as part of the regular maintenance routine for the garage door opener system. Cleaning and lubricating tracks, rollers, and hinges will help eliminate wear and tear issues caused by normal use over time.
Keep Clear of Moving Parts
Always maintain at least three feet of space around electric garage doors when they’re moving or being operated manually. Regardless of whether they’re powered by electricity or not. This will ensure that no one gets caught in potentially dangerous parts while they’re in motion.
Refrain from Overloading Door
Manual garage doors aren’t meant to bear weight beyond their rated capacity. If you overload your garage door, it can cause damage to your door and yourself. If you had known about the overload ahead of time, you could have fixed it.
Ensure Proper Alignment
Unaligned doors can cause serious problems when opening or closing them manually. It is better to have a motorized system that is easily and properly aligned. In other words, you’ve followed the manufacturer’s instructions and set up the device successfully.
Check Spring Tension
Springs support the weight of your entire manual garage door system. These parts are essential and very delicate. This means that we need to check their status regularly. By doing this, you can avoid any sudden malfunctions due to component wear & tear over time (or even premature aging).
Why Would You Need to Lift a Garage Door From Outside?
Unfortunately, there are times when you need to access the inside of your garage without being able to open it from the inside. In these instances, you may have to lift the garage door from outside.
Here are some common scenarios:
Malfunctioning Garage Door Openers
The most common reason for needing to lift a garage door from the outside is if the opener fails or malfunctions. This could range from faulty wiring to bad batteries in the remote control or even just general deterioration over time.
Disconnected Garage Door Openers
Sometimes, it might become necessary to disconnect your automatic garage door opener to inspect or repair it. This will render it temporarily useless until it’s reconnected. Meaning that manual door lifting may be required to enter or exit the garage during this period.
To Repair the Garage Door
Sometimes, garage door repair will likely require lifting it from the outside to gain access to its inner workings. A professional technician should open the door with the right training and safety equipment, but in some emergencies, you might have no choice but to open it yourself.
Loss of Power
In instances where there is an unexpected power outage in your area due to storms or other events beyond our control. Your electric-powered garage door will not work and must be manually lifted to access your car or any other items stored within your garage space.
Emergency Situations
In some cases, you might need to get into a garage that doesn’t have power. If someone is stuck inside and needs help, you can lift the door from the outside without electricity. This way, it is faster to rescue them and potentially save lives.
Replacing the Garage Door Opener
Another scenario where one might want (or need) outside assistance when replacing their existing opener. That requires an additional connection before it can start operating properly again (i.e., programming).
Lifting a Garage Door From Outside: Are There Any Risks?
From the outside, lifting a garage door can carry a certain degree of risk depending on the specific circumstances. It is generally not recommended to lift a garage door manually from the outside because it could result in personal injury or damage to the door.
This is because when lifting a garage door from outside, you might lack the proper strength and technique necessary to do so safely. Also, if the door is held by loose parts, such as a garage door spring or cable. It could break suddenly due to excessive strain if it cannot resist the force of lifting from the outside.
Apart from that, one must also be careful not to pinch their fingers between the sections and ensure no objects are blocking its path. There is also potential for damage to occur to surrounding vehicles or property due to the sudden movement of such a large object.
How Much Force Should It Take To Lift a Garage Door?
The amount of force required to lift and open a typical residential garage door will depend on the size and weight. Generally, an average residential garage door can weigh anywhere from 300 to 600 pounds, but with the help of springs and counterbalances should require only 8 to 10 pounds of force to open.
It is important to ensure that all components are properly balanced and functioning correctly for the door to open easily. If not, then greater force may be necessary to raise the door.
Will Someone Be Able to Lift the Garage Door Without An Opener?
Yes, although it requires some technical knowledge and experience, someone could potentially lift your garage door without an opener by using something known as a code grabber. This device records the code that is sent by an automatic opener. This code can be used to open the garage door manually.
To do this, you need to input the code into another system, like a computer or smartphone. Overall, using an opener is generally easier (and more secure), but manual entry is certainly possible with enough know-how.
Can Someone Force the Garage Door Open?
Unfortunately, criminals can easily break into a closed roll-up garage door without needing any specialized tools. They only need a small wood block and a coat hanger to trip the safety release mechanism. Sometimes, these methods may not work depending on your garage door’s locks and security measures.
It is important to make sure all of the locks are working properly. This will help stop people from breaking in. You can use high-quality bolts and deadbolts or even an automatic roller shutter system if possible.
Release Your Garage Door Hassles with an Emergency Kit
Opening a garage door from the outside can be tempting, but it’s important to remember that risky behavior comes with dangerous consequences. Trying to force the door open could lead to the destruction of your property and injury to yourself, an event better avoided.
It is also worth noting that an emergency release kit should be used whenever possible, as this will make lifting the garage door much easier and safer. Following the steps and safety measures outlined above can help you safely lift your garage door from outside.
