Garage door cables are a critical part of the operation to open and close your garage door because they pull up the entire weight of the door. These cables wrap around cable drums at the top of the door and run down, clipping onto the bottom bracket. They are located on either side of your door, running vertically with your track. In order to function properly, lifting your door and protecting your family from injury, cables need to be well maintained. This means no fraying or damage that could cause them to snap. Any weak spots in the cables could cause major issues for the operation of your garage door and become dangerous.
Your garage door cables also work closely with your springs to open and close your garage door. This means that if one is damaged, it is most likely hurting the other. For example, if your spring breaks, that creates added tension for your cables. When either of these parts breaks, you will hear a popping noise as the tension releases. Additionally, if your spring has too much or too little tension, it could cause your cable to come off the drum. Loss of tension from any of these problems will make your garage door heavier and more difficult to lift. Do not attempt to lift it with the automatic opener because this could cause the motor to burn out. You can try to open the door manually, but it could be very difficult, and you should always have someone to help you.
Instead of attempting any repairs or opening the door on your own, call us at 678-960-3360 to schedule an appointment! We can replace a garage door cable quickly to fully restore function and safety to your overhead door. Trust our trained technicians to complete your garage door cable repair near Buford, Milton, and Buckhead, so you don’t have to worry. We can also give you cost estimates over the phone so you know what to expect for a repair appointment with us!
Loose Garage Door Cable
In the photo, you can see that the cable has simply come out of the drum, not broken. This can occur if you accidentally close your garage door on something or have loose springs. If this happens, our technicians can typically reattach it to the drum and get your garage door working again quickly. Even though this might seem like an easy fix for you, you should not attempt to reset the cable into the drum on your own. The cable still holds a lot of tension and could injure you or a family member if handled incorrectly.
Broken Garage Door Cable
In the photo, you can see that the garage door cable is fully broken. Your cable can break for several different reasons. One, if the steel of the cables develops corrosion or rubs against other metal parts, the cable will likely break. Two, if your spring breaks when attempting to lift the door, the sudden fall of the door could snap the cables. In either case, our technicians will have to replace the cables on both sides of the garage door to get it functioning at its best again.
As with a loose cable, you should be careful when handling a garage door with a broken cable. Instead of risking injury by trying to replace a garage door cable yourself, contact the experts at Aaron Overhead Doors. We keep our trucks stocked with the necessary tools and parts to ensure you get a speedy repair!
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When Do You Need Cable Replacement?
In many cases, our customers assume that the garage door cable is broken, but it has only come out of the drum. The cable actually clips into the drum, and the tension in the garage door torsion springs holds them in place. In some cases, if no damage was done to the cable, we can just reset the garage door cable in the drum.
We don’t recommend resetting the cables into the drum yourself. Remember, the cables hold the entire weight of the door and operate at a high level of tension. Replacing them is dangerous and should only be done by a garage door repair specialist. In-house, we typically stock eight and nine-foot-tall cables which will fit most residential garage doors. We can complete your garage door cable replacement quickly and easily during a repair appointment.
If we notice any wear or fraying during a maintenance appointment or repair for another issue, we will require that you allow us to replace them. Because cables are important to the function of the springs, it is vital that they are in good shape to reliably lift your garage door. Additionally, if one of your cables breaks or experiences extensive wear, we will need to replace both cables. Since they work together, it is best to keep them on equal footing so one is not holding more tension than the other.
Here at Aaron Overhead Doors, we perform garage door cable repair and replacement for local homes and businesses. Located in Buford, GA, we service the North Atlanta and North Georgia areas including Gwinnett, North Fulton, Dekalb, Forsyth, Cobb, Hall, Jackson, Jefferson, and more. Contact us at 678-960-3360 for more information or to schedule an appointment! We’ll make sure you can open and close your garage door seamlessly!
What is a garage door cable?
Garage door cables are made from heavy duty or galvanized steel, running on either side of your garage door. These lift cables wrap around drums at the top your door and run down to anchor into bottom brackets. They hold the weight of your garage door, working with the springs in a counter balance system.
What makes a garage door cable come off?
Garage door cables typically come off the drum for two reasons: slack in tension or broken cables. This can occur when the garage door is lowered onto an object and creates slack in the cable tension. Also, if your garage door springs break or become unbalanced, it could cause the cables to come off or break from extra weight.
How long do garage door cables last?
Like all garage door parts, the lifespan of cables depends on cycles. High cycle cables will last 10-15,000 cycles of opening you garage door. This translates into 8-15 years depending on how frequently you use your garage door. However, you can extend this lifespan with annual maintenance.
How can you fix a garage door cable?
How to fix your garage door cable will depend on if it is loose or broken. If you have a loose cable that is hanging out of drum, it probably just needs to be reset. If the cable is broken, your garage door won’t be able to function until the cable is replaced.
Excellent responsiveness. There was a question on where to put the window panel and Matt was committed to getting it right even if it meant redoing some work. Great work and very efficient. Will definitely use this company again.
Aaron’s tech Joe arrived on time and completed the installation in a timely manner. He’s very professional and personable. I’ll definitely call Aaron w/ any future garage door issues.
The entire company was fantastic- from Bree calling me back on Memorial day to Joe arriving Tuesday morning to address my issue. The entire door system was reviewed nd evaluated thoroughly. Joe patiently explained what I had, needed to be done and what my options in general were for repair. Once the estimate was ready, Joe again patiently explained the repair options and discussed in detail any specific line items I either didn't understand or was looking for clarification on. The estimates were fair and reasonable for the work involved and once I made my choice the work was begun and finished well within the time frame Don gave me for the repair. I am extremely pleased with everything- top to bottom and will continue to highly recommend Aaron Overhead Doors to anyone looking for garage door repairs/ replacement.
I highly recommend Aaron Overhead Doors for any garage door needs. Joe Simon is professional, knowledgeable, and truly values his customers. Ally, who manages the service calls, is also extremely friendly and helpful.
When my garage door motor stopped working after just two years, Joe and the team took care of everything from start to finish with LiftMaster. They were completely honest, immediately let me know the unit was still under warranty, and kept me informed every step of the way while arranging the replacement. The entire process was seamless and stress-free thanks to their expertise and integrity.
Highly recommend Aaron Overhead Doors of Buford. They installed a garage door about 4 years ago. Called just for service and safety check - no issues. Largest item in the house, so wanted to be sure. Joe was very pleasant and helpful with answering all questions. The safety check and regular maintenance was completed quickly.
Our sales person was wonderful - he really went the extra mile to find out what we needed and wanted. And the installation team was great - they were attentive and made doubly sure that everything was safely installed and that we were happy with the final results. It's been five months since the garage doors were installed, and we love them. We will certainly use Aaron Overhead Doors if we need garage door services in the future, and we are happy to refer them to others who need new doors or garage door service.
