If your garage door works perfectly at night or on cloudy days, but refuses to close on bright winter afternoons, you’re not imagining things. This is one of the most common garage door problems homeowners face in Colorado during December and January, and it almost always comes down to one issue: sunlight interfering with your safety sensors.
At One Clear Choice Garage Doors, we get countless calls every winter about doors that reverse for “no reason.” Let’s break down what’s really happening, why it’s worse in Colorado’s high-altitude climate, and what you can do to fix it.
Modern garage doors are equipped with photo-eye safety sensors near the bottom of the door tracks. These sensors send an invisible beam across the opening. If anything interrupts that beam, such as kids, pets, debris, or even light, the door automatically reverses to prevent injury.
Here’s the problem:
In winter, the sun sits much lower in the sky, especially in Colorado. During morning and late-afternoon hours, sunlight can shine directly into one sensor, overwhelming it and making the system think something is blocking the beam.
The result?
This is normal behavior for a safety system, but it’s incredibly frustrating.
Colorado homeowners deal with a perfect storm of conditions:
Many national garage door tips don’t account for this, which is why generic advice often doesn’t work here.
Before assuming sunlight is the issue, start with the basics.
What to do:
Even a slight bump from a broom, snow shovel, or trash bin can knock sensors out of alignment, making glare problems worse.
This is where Colorado-specific solutions make the biggest difference.
A sun shield is a small physical barrier that blocks direct sunlight from hitting the sensor lens while still allowing the beam to pass.
Simple DIY options:
These shields work exceptionally well in high-glare environments and often solve the problem immediately.
In some cases, slightly raising or lowering the sensor—while staying within manufacturer guidelines—can move it out of the sun’s direct path.
Important:
Sensors must remain within safety code height requirements. Improper placement can make your door unsafe or noncompliant.
If you’re unsure, this is a good time to call a professional.
Most garage door openers allow you to hold the wall button down to force the door closed when sensors are blocked by sunlight.
This is safe as a short-term workaround, but it’s not a real fix, and it gets old fast.
If your door won’t close even on cloudy days or at night, you may be dealing with:
These issues require professional diagnosis.
If you’ve tried cleaning, aligning, and shielding your sensors, and the problem keeps coming back, it’s time to bring in an expert.
At One Clear Choice Garage Doors, we:
A garage door that won’t close on sunny winter days isn’t broken; it’s reacting exactly as it was designed to. The key is understanding how Colorado’s winter sun affects your system and making the right adjustments.
If you’re tired of wrestling with your garage door every afternoon, contact One Clear Choice Garage Doors today for fast, professional service and a permanent solution.
