Your automatic garage door uses a combination of cables and springs to smoothly and easily lower and lift the great weight of your garage door. These cables, made of twisted strands of galvanized wire, are built to last, but they can and do fail over time due to accidents, etc.
Whether you have a garage door hanging from a single cable or just noticed some fraying or stretching of one of your cables, you’re looking at a job that’s going to need professional help to manage safely — but first, let’s start with what you should do immediately.
Be Careful!
Your garage door is heavy — if it doesn’t seem that way, it’s because of the torsion springs that do the work of counteracting that weight for normal operation. That’s a lot of force being met by a lot of force, which means that when something goes wrong with your garage door, it can go really wrong.
First and foremost, BE CAREFUL. If your garage door cables both snap and the door falls uncontrolled, you don’t want to be anywhere near it. This is why you also don’t want to try to DIY the situation; mistakes with your garage door can lead to fatal injuries and totaled cars.
What if the Door Is Still Open?
If your garage door is hanging from a single cable, it might not be able to close properly — leaving your garage exposed. This might not be a problem for you, especially if you’re going to get a professional out quickly for repairs, but if your garage contains valuable or delicate property, or you’re worried about the weather or pests, then you’ll need to figure out how to close it.
If you can get your garage door completely open to loosen the tension, then cut the remaining cable, you can lower your garage door with the help of several other people to manage the weight safely — but even this is a last resort if you absolutely MUST close your garage door and can’t leave it to a professional.
This can still be dangerous given the weight involved, and if more is wrong with your garage door and torsion springs become a factor, the danger can be extreme.
Realistically, your first and final action for a garage door with a snapped cable should be …
Calling a Professional
Since you probably don’t want to spend hours educating yourself and getting the necessary tools to risk your life on a DIY repair, you’ll need to call a professional. Make sure you’re working with someone who knows the intricacies of garage doors instead of calling a general-purpose handyperson — you don’t want to hire someone who will hurt themselves and/or damage your property in the process.
A good team can quickly repair your garage door by replacing your cables, identify any other lingering issues waiting to pop up or help you find a new garage door if yours isn’t financially worth the repair costs. A good door repair company can also help you prevent trouble in the future with regular maintenance.
Avoiding Problems in the Future
Garage doors usually fail for one of two reasons: Accidents (i.e., running into your garage door) and lack of maintenance. You can’t completely avoid accidents, especially if you’re not the one driving, but you can make sure your garage door gets regular maintenance from a trained professional, so you’re far less likely to face dramatic garage door problems.
Learn More
Need more information on getting your garage door repaired or maintaining it after the fact?
Contact the team at Overhead Door Company of Greater Cincinnati™ for garage door service by calling (513) 394-6938 today.
