How to Fix Up and Over Garage Door Cable
Up and over garage doors are a popular style for many homes throughout the UK, mainly thanks to their space-saving feature of suspending the garage door overhead, preserving the width of the garage space.
While they’re built to be robust, there is always a risk that at some point the up and over garage door cable will snap. The focus of our piece this month is on the garage door cable; what it does, why it can break, tools you can use to fix it and the overarching process of replacing a garage door cable.
What is a garage door cable?
Garage door cables on up and over units will usually attach to the torsion spring which sits along the horizontal height of the garage opening on the inside. The cable and spring work together to help with the easy opening of the garage door, taking the weight out of it so that it lifts most of the way up by itself.
The cable itself is a galvanised, twisted metal wire and connects to a plastic cone at the end of the torsion spring.
Why do garage door cables snap?
Many people will never have an issue with their garage door cable snapping or breaking, but there are a number of reasons why it might happen eventually. Everything has a lifespan for use, and with regular opening and closing of your door, eventually, a cable can begin to wear. Due to the fact it is made of metal, there is also the risk of corrosion if your door faces a lot of exposure to moisture. If your door falls out of alignment, this can also add increased strain to one cable over another, so don’t be surprised if, left unchecked, one cable eventually gives way.
Undertaking regular maintenance of your garage door is always advised to keep all parts in the best possible condition. Some light cleaning and lubrication of your rollers and cables can help to increase the longevity of your garage door cables.
Tools needed to fix a garage door cable
If you’re looking to replace a broken cable yourself, there are several tools and spare parts you’ll want to have handy:
- Replacement cones
- Replacement cables
- Pin punch
- Tension kit
- Hammer
- Screwdriver
- Safety goggles
- Safety gloves
Steps for garage door cable repair
The more you know about your garage door, the easier it is to perform repairs yourself, but replacing a cable in an up and over garage door can be tricky. It involves first making the door safe before tackling the repairs – namely, ensuring that there isn’t still tension in the springs.
Once you’ve sorted the tension in the springs (if one cable still works, you need to attend to the tension first) you’ll need to replace the cones, run the new cable up the side track and ensure the cable sits around the plastic cone.
From here, you can place tension back in the springs and cable. Be very careful when dealing with spring tension as you could cause more damage if you get it wrong, as well as risking injury.
Up and over garage door repairs from Doormatic
If you’re not confident about replacing the cable for your door, don’t risk doing more damage – get the experts in. At Doormatic, we can help with all your up and over garage door repairs wherever you are in the Home Counties, Buckinghamshire and London, ensuring that proper function is restored with a smooth, even lifting action.
Whether you’ve got a snapped cable, your door has become wonky on the hinges or you simply can’t get the door to lift and retract at all, contact us today and our professional team will be on hand to help fix your garage door.
