What to do if your garage door cable break

Garage door cable repair and replacement problems occur after a few years of wear and tear. When garage door cables snap they need to be replaced.
Garage doors are composed of many parts that work together to open and close the heavy doors smoothly. When the cable snaps it is a serious problem. Broken garage door cables will not allow the door to lift open or if forcible opened will result in damaging the garage door panels. This post explains how garage door cables operate.

High tension garage door springs counterbalance the weight of the door and are responsible for opening and closing your garage door. If a spring breaks it can cause injury or severe damage.

Depending on the springs used on a garage door will determine the types of cables used.

• Lift cables – When torsion springs are used on garage doors then lift cables are needed. These garage door cables connect the garage door springs to the garage door panels. On one end the cables connect with the bottom panel of the garage. While the other end of the cables are wrapped around the cable drums. The spring system lifts the door up by rotating and winding the cables around the cable drums. When the garage door wire breaks the door may not lift or will lift only on one side.
• Retaining cables – these cables run inside the springs and are less common in Calgary.
  Garage door cables are incredibly strong, flexible, and durable but they’re not invulnerable. After years of wear and tear from opening and closing garage doors they will break. It is essential to inspect the condition of your garage door springs and cables to reveal any breakage or damage.

Other than the cables snapping a few other complications can arise when self-repairing:

• Cables might be wound around the cable drums incorrectly, resulting in the door jamming or not lifting.
• The garage door cables can unwind from the drums and need to be reconnected
• Unequal tensions on both cable installations may result in a greater load carried by one cable
• The pulleys may be worn out, preventing the cable from operating smoothly.

It is feasible to fix the garage door cable yourself. however it may be unsafe to do so and the complications listed above may occur. We recommend calling a local professional who can safely repair broken garage door cables and inspect your garage door.
Calgary garage doors offers maintenance and garage door cable replacement services. As working with torsion springs can be dangerous it is recommended to reach out to professionals. Our team delivers emergency garage door cable repair. We recommend replacing both cables when one breaks. As it usually indicates that the lifespan of the cables is coming to an end. Our technicians can deal with all issues related to garage doors upon inspection.