Your garage is a part of your home! And just like you invest in maintaining your front door and windows to ensure they are functional and secure, you also need to put some effort into ensuring that your garage door receives proper-regular maintenance. After all! It protects your property and home from the unknown dangers of the outside world.
Apart from your front door, your garage door is your home’s second most used one. It is used several times throughout the day. Due to this, they are prone to breakdowns and damage. It is, therefore, essential to understand how to assess the condition of your garage door and how to repair it. Fixing your garage door can be tricky and dangerous, particularly if you do not possess the necessary knowledge and experience.
You will learn how to assess your garage door’s condition, what tools you will need to replace the garage door cables, and some DIY garage door repair tips.
Signs of Damaged Garage Door Springs and Cables
An unreliable garage door can cause a lot of inconvenience for the homeowner and disrupt their daily lives. Sometimes, it can also pose serious safety hazards to you, your friends, and your family. A garage door has multiple small moving parts that function to articulate it. Garage door springs are put under a lot of tension when operating. So, they are prone to breakdown and failure, especially if they are old, corroded, or of sub-par quality.
Understanding the signs of a failed spring can save you from unnecessary spending and keep you and your loved ones safe. A broken garage door spring can show some of the following warning signs:
- The Door Doesn’t Open Fully – Garage door springs assist in smooth operation by taking most of the lifting load. Modern automatic openers have a feature that detects when the weight is off. As a result of the system, the door only opens more than half a foot, ensuring your safety.
- The Door Closes Too Fast – If you have an older door that doesn’t have the safety feature, you might notice the door lowering faster than normal. In this case, the springs loosen or break down, and the opener struggles to handle the weight. This is one of the most common garage door problems; you shouldn’t take it lightly. You should call a garage door service and repair to look it up immediately.
- Loud Noises When in Operation – When springs start to wear out, even the most basic operation puts a lot of strain on the affected springs. This extra stress can result in loud noises when it activates. These springs will produce creaking, popping, or groaning noises. Consult an expert to determine the exact reason for your garage door noise.
- The Springs Look Rusty And Imbalanced – While they might be easy to miss, you can identify damaged springs simply by looking at them. Affected springs might look dull, corroded, or recoiled after being used. For example, if your door has torsion springs, examine all three springs to look for any rust or gaps between the coils. Whenever you notice anything unusual, do not attempt to fix it yourself. You should call a garage door service and repair person to get it fixed.
Tools and Equipment: Repairing Garage Door Springs and Cables
Even though we don’t recommend fixing garage door issues yourself, you can make minor repairs to keep your springs and cables in good shape. Just like an artist needs art equipment to create their masterpiece, you will need some tools to start your basic repair. Here are some helpful tools that you need to have:
- Protective gear like heavy-duty gloves and safety goggles
- Hammer
- Drill
- Adjustable wrench
- Screwdrivers
- Lift cables
- Replacement springs
- Locking pliers
- Clamps
- Winding bars
- Bottom brackets
How To Repair Garage Door Springs
Step-by-step instructions on diagnosing and repairing broken garage door springs explain how to handle and replace springs safely.
It is important to exercise caution when repairing springs. Here are some important steps that you should follow:
- Lock the door and loosen the unbroken springs – Use the locking pliers to clamp the garage door. This will keep the door from any unexpected movement that might cause an accident.
You will then use your winding bar to first loosen the good springs. You can get this by winding the spring in a conical winding cone. When relaxing the springs, be extra cautious, as they may rotate aggressively.
- Slowly unwind and disconnect the springs – The next step is to use the second winding bar and place it into the next hole. Make an almost 90-degree angle between the bars. Once you’ve done this step, remove the winding bar and turn the spring. Remove the nuts and bolts inside the stationary cones and slide the springs into the brackets.
- Secure the torsion tube and remove the old springs – You need to loosen the set screws on either side of the cable drum and then disconnect the cables. Once disconnected, slide the torsion tube to the right. It will then be possible to remove the cable drum. Lastly, you can push the damaged spring off the tube.
- Install the new center bearing – You’ll need to first slide the replacement torsion spring onto the tube. Make sure that you have the stationary cone facing the center bracket. You can now install the cable drum and reinsert the torsion bar. During this step, the center bearing must be moved into the torsion bar to attach the stationary cones to the bracket.
- Replace the rollers, then lift the cables and the bottom brackets – Once you have done all the previous steps, you can replace the rusted rollers, lines, and bottom shelves. You must place the cable loop onto the new bottom bracket to do this.
- Thread the cables and tighten the drums – The final step in the process, the lift cable has to be fastened to the cable slot. Remember to use the pliers to tighten the drums. Before placing the screws, wind the wire tightly. Lastly, tighten both sides of the garage door. If you’ve done the steps correctly, the door should raise and lower evenly and smoothly.
Garage Door Service and Repair
Modern garage doors are complex mechanical systems with numerous moving parts. These moving parts will eventually wear out or get damaged. Therefore, you should invest in its repair and maintenance. While it is possible for homeowners to take matters into their own hands and make the necessary repairs themselves, hiring a professional garage door service and repair offers many benefits.
Some of the primary benefits of hiring a professional garage door service and repair are:
- Saves time and money – Broken garage doors can disrupt your daily schedule. If you run a business, it can come at the expense of loss of revenue or missed opportunities. Hiring a professional garage door service and repair to fix the problem will help eradicate the issue by allowing you to utilize your time for other important tasks.
- Minimizes the risk of injury – A broken garage door can lead to serious injuries. While you can carry out basic maintenance and repair tasks yourself, hiring a professional to fix the door will ensure you are safe and free from harm.
- Uses the latest tools and equipment – Besides being the cheaper option, the right garage door service and repair company also uses the latest tools and equipment to repair and fix your garage door. As professionals, they have all the necessary tools and equipment, experience, and expertise to ensure that your door gets set the right way.
- Guarantee of full repair – If you’ve taken matters into your own hands, chances are you’re not getting a complete repair. This holds especially true if you lack adequate mechanical experience. It can even end up damaging the door more. Hiring a professional service ensures that the matter is being looked into properly. It also provides that the repair is 100% successful.
