Left Hanging: What to Do When Your Garage Door Cable Snaps
If your garage door is suddenly hanging at a weird angle, moving unevenly up the tracks or sitting totally jammed halfway through its cycle, there is an extremely high chance you are dealing with a broken or derailed garage door cable.
The springs provide the brute force needed to counterbalance the door’s enormous weight, but it’s the aircraft-grade steel cables that actually pull the door up and lower it safely. When a cable frays or snaps completely, you lose the balance of your entire garage door system in a flash.
Knowing what to do (and what not to do) can save you from a hefty property damage bill or a terrible injury.
Symptoms of a Garage Door Cable That Is Failing
Most cables don’t just snap without warning. They are in constant tension and are exposed to Toronto’s changing seasons – from sub-zero winter freezes to humid summer dampness – so they give off a few distinct warning flags before they fail completely:
* Frayed or Loose Wires: Garage door cables are made up of several steel wires twisted together. If you see tiny strands of steel hair starting to unravel or separate along the cable’s length, it’s on borrowed time.
A Crooked Door If, when opening or closing the door, one side of the door is considerably higher than the other, a cable has probably stretched or come off its drum entirely.
* Excessive Squeaking or Jerking: If a cable is not seated in the cable drum groove, it will cause the door to shudder, shake or make a loud scraping noise while traveling.
Why a Snapped Cable is a Real Household Emergency
If a cable breaks, the high tension in the garage door spring is suddenly and entirely transferred to the other parts, or it is released violently.
If you suspect a bad cable, never force the door open with your automatic opener. The motor will attempt to lift a crooked, dead weight, which can easily burn out the opener gears, bend your tracking or snap the remaining cable, causing the door to come crashing down like a guillotine.
Also, do not attempt to pull the manual emergency release cord when the door is stuck open or half-open. Remove the cables, and the door will drop instantly with hundreds of pounds of force.
Leave the Cable Replacement to the Pros
Replacing a garage door cable is a very dangerous project for a weekend DIY. The bottom brackets that hold the cables are under direct tension from the heavy-duty springs. So if you unscrew the wrong bolt, that tension is released right away.
A professional technician has the properly rated aircraft cables, locking pliers, and specialized winding bars to replace the system safely, reset the spring tension, and perfectly balance the door.
Toronto Fast & Secure Overhead Door Repair
At Hall Garage Doors, we have spent years keeping local residential and commercial overhead doors running smoothly and safely throughout Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. Whether it’s a fast diagnostic on a squeaky system or a critical emergency cable replacement, our team shows up fully equipped to get your garage running safely again.
Don’t leave your home security and your family’s safety up in the air. Call our local team today for fast, professional service.
Get in Touch Today:
* Business name: Hall Garage Doors
* Address: 10 Ellison Ave, Unit 201, Toronto, ON M3H 2J6
* Phone: 416-639-2446 *
* Site Web: www.hallgaragedoors.ca
About the Author
