How to Open a Garage Door Side Lock

Sometimes a garage door needs to be operated manually.

Side locks are placed on garage doors that use a garage door opener. This helps prevent accidentally locking the door from the outside. If the door is manually locked and the opener tries to open the door, it could cause damage to the door and opener. The side lock is employed when there is a power outage or opener failure, requiring the door to be operated manually. When you are not accustomed to using side locks, you can forget how to operate them.

Instructions

1. Find the step plate on the bottom section of the garage door. The plate, which looks like a 6-inch-long piece of metal angle, will be on the same side as the side lock.

2. Step down on the step plate with your foot. This pushes the door down slightly, relieving pressure on the side lock bar in the track. If you do not see a step plate, step down on the two sleeves securing the stem of the bottom roller.

3. Grab the handle of the side lock bar and pull it toward the center of the door. This disengages the side lock bar from the door track.

4. Lift your foot off the step plate and open the garage door.

Tips & Warnings

• When you need to lock the door again, simply close the door and press down on the step plate. Push the lock bar on the side lock through the hole in the track and release the step plate.

References

• Garaga: Garage Door Installation Manual