Garage Door Cables
Garage Door Cables
What You Need to Know If You Are to Select the Right Cable for Your Door
Garage door cables work hand in hand with the garage door springs to maintain the motion and tension of a door.
Frayed or broken cables are the leading cause of stuck doors, hanging doors, off-track doors, and doors that won’t open.
We Advice that you do not try to replace a garage cable yourself. The reason being, simple as it may appear, a garage door system is complex.
A wrong move might result in the garage door falling on your belongings, and in worst case scenario hurt you or your family.
If you intend to replace the cable, here are some things to consider when installing a cable for your door.
The Three Types of Cables
Torsion Cables
Torsion garage cables work with torsion springs. the cables fastened to the bottom of a garage door. They have a loop at one end and a crimped stop on the other end. A torsion cable, attached to the bottom fixtures and wound in a specific way if it is to perform optimally.
When selecting a torsion cable, it is important to note that the height and lift type of your garage door largely determines the length of the cable. The cable’s wound also plays a part in determining the length.
Extension Spring Garage Door Cables
As the name suggests, extension cables work with extension springs. Similar to extension springs, extension cables reside on either side of a garage door.
When selecting an extension cable, you first need to know the type of springs in use.
Safety Cables
A garage door safety cable, used in conjunction with an extension spring to help prevent injury if spring fails.
With a safety cable, one end attached to the bottom of a garage door while the other end connects to the top of the garage door. The safety cable then runs through the middle of the extension spring which means if the spring fails that cable acts as a safety measure to hold both ends of the failing spring. That means the cable can slow down the door from falling at high speed and causing injury.
Tension Requirements
With the right cable at hand, the next significant consideration is tension. After installing a garage door cable, one must check to ensure that on both sides of the door the tension is equal. Otherwise, the garage door alignment will be off and will not operate correctly.
If you happen to live around Calgary AB, then thrifty garage door repair Calgary specializes in Garage door repair, not only repairing and replacing cables but everything that has to do with it
Final Word
When purchasing a garage door make sure it’s an established garage door company for future services, garage door cables, springs.
Remember though: In the long run the functionality of the garage door is dependent on the quality of installation.
Sourcing your garage door from well-known brands makes it easier to find the needed cable when it’s time to repair.
Famous brands include Amarr Garage Doors, Wayne Dalton, North West Doors (NWD) etc.