Signs Your Garage Door Cables May Need Repair or Replacement
Some signs you need a trained professional to perform a cable replacement or cable repair for your garage door include:
- Visible fraying or damage: Inspect the cables for any visible fraying, wear or rust. Damaged or corroded cables can weaken and eventually snap, making it unsafe to operate the door. If your cable snaps, it will usually hang loosely from the door or drum. If one cable breaks, the other will probably follow soon after.
- Visibly loose or displaced cables: If the cables appear loose or sagging, this could be because they slipped off the pulley or drum or there is compromised tension.
- Doors slam shut: The sudden release of the tension the cables were creating before they snapped can cause the door to slam shut. If your door slams shut, it needs to be seen as soon as possible, as this could pose a severe risk of injury or property damage. If you have one broken cable, all the tension will transfer to the other cable, which leads to it becoming crooked.
- Uneven door movement: If one side is higher than the other during operation, you might need to repair or replace your cables.
- Excessive squeaking or grinding noises: Grinding, scraping or squealing sounds when the garage door operates can indicate that the cables are worn out and straining to function properly.
- Door doesn’t open or close smoothly: A jerky or slow garage door that doesn’t open or close smoothly could signal a cable problem.
Here’s why balance is so important when it comes to garage doors as it provides the following:
- Prevents uneven movement
- Ensures safety
- Protects door components
- Ensures proper alignment
- Allows for efficient operation