Your garage door cables are a vital component of the safety and functionality of your garage door. A snapped cable could lead to serious risk of injury, not to mention the cost of replacing the cable and repairing the resulting damage. So, it’s important that you keep them in good condition to prevent them from deteriorating too much. Here are some tips for maintaining your garage door cables.
Inspecting your garage door cables
Visually inspecting your garage door cables on a regular basis will ensure that you notice any damage or wear and tear to them. When inspecting your cables, you should check their condition both with the garage door open and closed. Look out for the build-up of dirt, grime, and debris on your cables. Check for signs of wear and tear such as fraying along the cables, rusting, and any bends or kinks in them.
If frayed cables are left and you continue to use your garage door, then they will continue to deteriorate and can eventually snap, which is a great danger. Another problem with the operation of your garage door may have caused the cables to become kinked or frayed, so it is important to call a professional to inspect your garage door so they can identify and repair any issues with it.
There are certain maintenance tasks that can keep your garage door cables in good condition. Applying a spray lubricant to them can help to fight rust and oxidation. Just try not to use a too heavy lubricant as these can attract a lot of dust and dirt. You should also have a garage door technician check the balance of your door regularly to help prevent imbalances placing too much stress on the cable. This can cause the fraying and kinks that you want to avoid.
When to replace them
Your garage door cables should last several years, but it is important to have them replaced if they start to fray. You should also consider replacing rusting cables as the rusted areas will become weaker and may also lead to the cables breaking.
If your cables need repairing, maintaining, or replacing, then we advise calling a professional garage door technician as this can be a very dangerous job. The cables carry a lot of the load when lifting your garage door, so a mistake can cause the door to come crashing down hard. This is why it’s also important to have them replaced sooner rather than later.
If you need garage door maintenance or repair, whether it’s for your cables or something else, contact Carolina Garage Door. We provide garage door services for both residential and commercial garage doors around Winston Salem, Greensboro, Kernersville, and High Point.