Garage doors don’t seem complicated, but in reality, they’re complex mechanisms made up of many working parts, and each is essential to moving the heavy door as smoothly as possible. When the cable that runs inside the springs suddenly breaks, you have a serious problem on your hands.
In this blog, we explain how garage door cables work, whether you can repair the cable yourself and what to do if your home’s garage door is stuck open.
How Do Garage Cables Work?
When you open and close your garage door, its springs counterbalance the door’s weight. Because the springs are under an incredible amount of tension, if one breaks, it might cause severe damage or injury. That’s why heavy cables run through the springs to prevent them from recoiling.
The cable used on your garage door depends on the type of springs used.
- Lift cables are used on garage doors with torsion springs, with the cables attached to the door’s bottom corners and routed to the torsion springs above the door.
- Retaining cables are used in garage doors with extension springs to prevent springs from flying across the room if they break. The cables are inside the springs, which run vertically along the door’s right and left sides.
While garage door cables are extremely strong and flexible, they’re not impervious to breaking. Paying attention to the condition of your garage door’s springs and cables is essential. If your inspection reveals any damage or breakage, call a professional immediately.
Can I Fix My Cable Myself?
An issue with your cable could come down to several factors:
- The cables could wind around the drum incorrectly, so the door becomes jammed.
- The cables can completely unwind from the drum and need to be reconnected.
- The pulleys get worn out, and the cable stops operating smoothly.
Though you can feasibly fix a broken garage door cable yourself, it’s unsafe to do so. That’s why we recommend calling a professional who can make the repair safely and without damaging the door or other moving parts.
Plus, our garage door repairs include inspecting the door’s total performance, which can identify any other problems or potential issues before they get worse.
If Your Garage Door Is Stuck Open
If a cable breaks while the garage door is open, your home is left exposed. To protect your home and family, you’ll need to cut the unbroken cable to get the door to close. Our cable repairs include replacing both cables as a precaution, so cutting the good cable won’t increase the repair cost.
NOTE: If you decide to cut the unbroken cable yourself, use extreme caution and have several other people there to help you lower the door slowly and carefully once the cable is cut.
Call an Experienced Garage Door Company ASAP
Did you know our founder, C.G. Johnson, invented the upward-lifting garage door and the electric door opener? For over a century, the team at Overhead Door Co. of Indianapolis & Muncie has been the garage door contractor of choice for garage door repair, garage door replacement and garage door maintenance.
We also offer garage door openers and keypad programming services. We’re Indianapolis’ number one source for all things garage-related.
Whether you have a damaged, frayed or snapped garage door cable, call Overhead Door Co. of Indianapolis & Muncie at 317-489-0825 to schedule services.
