Most people don’t give much thought to the cable on their garage door, but they really are lifesavers, literally, especially when it comes to spring repair. Garage door springs are tightly wound in order to carry the force that makes raising and lowering your hundred plus garage door a breeze. They are under incredible pressure. If they should break, they can cause serious damage to your car, or worse, cause serious bodily damage or even kill a person. The cable prevents the spring from recoiling and will catch a broken spring so that it drops to the ground harmlessly.
Why You Should Visually Inspect Your Garage Door Springs
While we don’t recommend repairing your garage door springs yourself (even if your springs do have safety cables in place), we do suggest giving your springs a visual inspection every few months. Look for signs of rust, slack, brittleness or loose coils. If you see anything of concern, call a garage door repairman for a more thorough and professional inspection.
Springs can be very dangerous. It’s always best to spot problems before they become real emergencies. If a spring should suddenly snap, it does so with violent force that can cause serious bodily injury. Make sure your springs are in good shape. Always feel free to call us if you have any questions.
Garage Door Spring Repair: Different Cables for Different Springs
There are several different types of cables, depending on what kind of garage door you have. Torsion spring doors will have torsion spring cables that loop at one end and have a crimped stop at the other end. Extension spring garages will likewise have extension spring cables. Each type requires a different process.
But if your garage door cable needs repaired, the spring can be very dangerous to repair. If you don’t feel confident dealing with high tension springs and know exactly what you are doing, call a professional repairman. This job can be a dangerous DIY home repair. Trying to save a few dollars could end up costing you your life, or at least involve a trip to the emergency room.
To replace the garage door cable, you’ll need to release the tension in the garage door springs. Open the door partially, and secure it using a couple of C-clamps. If the tension has been released, the springs should be open. Do not attempt to release tense springs!
Tread Cautiously! Call A Garage Door Repair Professional
Again, we caution that unless you know what you are doing, you should leave this job to a professional. We offer same day service on broken garage doors to the Roseville area and even make house calls. If you have any questions, please give us a call.