Dealing With Loose Garage Door Cables

One of the last things homeowners want to deal with is a malfunctioning garage door first thing in the morning. When you have your morning coffee in your hand, and you’re ready to begin your commute, you don’t want to discover that your garage door isn’t running as smoothly as it did because of loose cables. These vital components of your garage door help keep it securely in place. When they come loose, it can cause a slew of problems you need to address quickly. 

When dealing with loose garage door cables, knowing what caused the issue can help you figure out how to move forward and fix the problem for good. Let’s start with determining what kind of system your cables use. 

Determine What Torsion System You Have

If your garage door has a standard torsion system, you will see a bar that spans the width of the door, with cable-wrapped drums on either end. On the bar, you will see one or two thick springs. Check if one of the garage door springs has a gap; if so, you have a broken door spring that may require replacement.

If the spring does not have a gap, the loose cable is due to another factor. Your garage door could be out of balance or off track,  you could have failing rollers or loose set screws, or something else entirely. If you are exceptionally handy, you may be able to fix the problem yourself; however, it is safest to have a professional inspect your garage door to determine the actual cause and make the garage door repair in Katy, TX.

What Can Cause the Cables to Come Loose?

Before you can figure out exactly how you can fix the cables, you should have an understanding of what caused the loosening in the first place. When it comes to your garage door cables, they can withstand a great deal of punishment over their lifespan, but it’s not completely impervious to damage. There are multiple potential causes for the cables to come loose, which include:

Improperly Installed Drums and Cables

Depending on the size and heft of your door, you need the right system installed to keep your garage door securely in place. If you have a heavier door being held up with smaller cables and improperly sized drums, the cables can snap and become a hazard. The same can be said for taller doors — the taller the door, the longer the cables should be. 

Impact Damage

Modern garage doors have safety precautions built into them that help protect you and your family from harm. These systems help prevent the doors from accidentally falling on anyone; however, that doesn’t mean they are foolproof. If you back into the garage door with your car, or the system is simply faulty, the resulting impact may cause significant damage to your door, including causing the cables to come loose. 

Damage to the lower half of your door can also have a cascading effect on the rest of your components. If one side has sustained a great deal of damage, it can cause instability in the rest of the unit and cause the cables to come loose. 

The Door Wasn’t Installed Properly 

How well your garage door was installed directly affects how well the component parts work together for the long haul. If the door system wasn’t installed with great care and attention to detail, the likelihood of the parts not aligning properly increases. If the garage door cables weren’t installed properly from the beginning, the chances quickly rise that they’ll pop out of place or unwind from the drum based on the tension. 

Torsion Springs Are Broken

The cables aren’t that far behind when you have an issue with your torsion springs. When one of the door springs snaps, your garage door cables automatically lose their tension and get shaken loose. If it’s open when this happens, then your door will come crashing down. As long as one of the torsion springs stays intact, your door won’t fall completely off its moorings, and you can get emergency service done before more serious damage occurs. 

Can I Fix the Cables Myself?

Issues with your garage door cables may seem like an issue you can fix yourself, but it’s rarely the case. In most situations, the cables and torsion springs are under such intense stress and pressure that if you try to make the repairs yourself without the proper training, you could do more harm than good. We’ve helped many customers who attempted to fix the problem themselves only to do more damage, which costs more money. We also recommend scheduling regular garage door maintenance.

Note: Garage doors are extremely heavy, and the garage door springs are under immense tension as they counterbalance the door. DIYers proceed with extreme caution with garage door installation!

Trust Ohana Garage Doors With Your Garage Door Cable Repairs

Garage door services like repair are nothing to take lightly – we certainly don’t. We take precautions to protect your property and family while assessing and conducting a garage door repair. If you find a loose garage door cable, regardless of the cause, protect your home and property by calling us to handle the garage door repair. Book your appointment today!