Garage Door Cable Replacement

Most homeowners do not realize their garage door cable needs to be replaced until a problem becomes impossible to ignore. While it is always best to address cable issues before a break occurs, Mr. Spring is ready to help even if your cable has already snapped. Below are some common signs that your garage door cable is failing or causing problems within your door system:

• Visible wear – Fraying, rusting, or otherwise visibly decaying cables should be replaced as soon as possible to prevent an inevitable failure. With the fluctuations in Minnesota weather, cable corrosion is incredibly common and can be easily addressed by a professional.
• Garage door cables appear loose – Cables are designed to be taut, holding tension and, ultimately, your garage door in place. A gap or other signs of slack in the wire can indicate a break or other problem along the cable system.
• Door is noisy during operation – A loud garage door may seem “normal” to a lot of people, but excessive noise–especially changes to the sound like banging or screeching–can be a sign that the cable is on its way out.
• Issues during operation – Crooked lifting, working inconsistently, or unusually slow garage doors are typically caused by the cables or springs and should be addressed as soon as possible to avoid additional damage to the system.

Garage door cables may seem easy enough to replace, but there are a number of factors to consider before jumping into the project as a weekend DIY.

• Tension – Garage door cables are designed to lift the weight of a garage door–usually somewhere between 100-400 lbs. As such, they carry significant tension to manage all that weight. If the cable snaps, it releases all of that tension and can turn into a dangerous steel whip traveling at bullet speeds, so caution should be used when unwinding or making adjustments to cables to avoid severe injury.
• Spring Adjustments – The cables on your garage door system work in tandem with the springs, meaning that in order to get the cables removed and replaced the springs will also need to be adjusted. Springs also hold significant tension, and incorrectly adjusting this tension can lead to snapping–both risking injury and causing further damage and the additional expense of a spring replacement!
• Correct Parts – Not all garage door parts and created equally, and nowhere is this more true than in the cable. Choosing the wrong diameter or material can lead to malfunctions in the door system as the cable will not properly fit in the drum or may even snap under the weight of the door. Either can lead to additional repairs or major hiccups in the repair process.

The experienced garage door repair professionals at Mr. Spring are prepared for all of the potential pitfalls associated with a garage door cable repair project. Why not give yourself a break on the DIY and give us a call to see just how affordable hiring a professional can be? Call or click below to schedule your free estimate today.