If your door is hanging at an angle, jammed halfway, or grinding against one side of its frame, the problem is usually a cable that's come off its drum or a track that's been knocked out of alignment.
What you'll see
- One side of the door sits lower than the other.
- There's a slack or frayed cable visible down one side.
- The door binds or catches at the same point every time.
- A roller has come out of the track entirely.
- Sometimes there's a visible dent in the track where a car or a bike has hit it.
What causes it
Three things, mostly. A spring failure that let the door drop unevenly and pulled a cable off its drum. A physical knock: reversing into the track is more common than anyone admits. Or gradual wear: cables fray from the inside out and eventually let go, usually at the drum end.
Why it's urgent even though the door still moves. A door running on one good cable is loading the whole weight through one side. Keep operating it and you'll bend the track, wear the rollers, and turn a straightforward cable job into a panel replacement.
What we do
We take the tension off the door safely, reseat or replace the cables, and check the drums for grooving. We straighten or replace the affected track section, and replace worn rollers while we're in there. Worn rollers can also cause noise. Then we re-level the door and test the balance.
Repair or replace?
Minor track dents can be straightened. A track that's been folded or torn at the mounting brackets needs replacing to prevent further roller damage.
Cables are always replaced, never repaired, and always in pairs, for the same reason as springs: the second one is the next callout.
What it costs
Cable work is often done alongside spring replacement, since the two frequently fail together. We price the whole job before we start, and if we find track damage we'll show you before we touch it.
Common questions
We'd advise against it. The door came off because something failed, and forcing it back usually bends the track further. It also puts your hands in the exact places a door closes on.
We check both sides and explain which components need replacing, with the price agreed before work starts.
No. Light dents can be dressed out. Kinked or torn track is replaced, because it will keep destroying rollers otherwise.