The rollers and cables on your garage door are essential to its operation. The rollers help the door open smoothly and easily, and they help the garage door stay on track. However, the rollers can break like any part on the garage door. When that happens, you’ll need to contact a pro for your garage door repair. 

 Getting the Right Rollers 

 Garage door rollers are produced in multiple sizes. To ensure that you get the right rollers, you’ll need to measure the rollers that the garage door currently has. If you can’t remove the rollers, open the garage door partially so that the rollers are simple to reach. As a general guideline, the most common size for garage door rollers is between one and three inches. To determine the most accurate size, measure the rollers across the roller head.

Additionally, be sure to measure either the shaft or the sham. If your garage door is older, you may need to order rollers that fit specially. No matter what size rollers the garage door needs, make sure that the rollers you get are sufficient in length. Rollers that are not long enough can make the garage door fall off the tracks. Damage may result in other parts of the garage door, including the hinges and panels. If more parts of the garage door become damaged, repairs naturally become more costly and time-consuming. 

 What Type of Material Should You Use? 

 Rollers come in two primary materials, which are steel and nylon. The material you choose for your rollers can affect the cost and the garage door’s operation. Remember that the more ball bearings your garage door has, the quieter it will be. Having more rollers is more expensive initially, but it may ultimately lead to greater cost savings down the road. Nylon rollers typically make less noise than steel rollers. However, steel rollers tend to last longer. When equipped with premium nylon rollers, a garage door has an approximate lifespan of 12-20 years. 

 What Damages Garage Door Rollers? 

 Garage door rollers may suffer damage for multiple reasons. Age is a typical reason why garage door rollers wear out. The material they are made of can also impact their lifespan. Rollers typically last a few years. As they start to wear out gradually, the housing in the garage door’s bearings can become loose and cause the bearing to become misaligned. Eventually, they will also malfunction. The rollers can also malfunction in a heavier garage door due to the greater weight and pressure. If the tracks on a garage door are crooked, the rollers have a greater chance of wearing out unevenly and eventually breaking.

The cables are another essential part of your garage door, although they might not initially be the most obvious part of the door. The cables help the garage door open and close smoothly. You will need garage door repair if the cables are broken, as they can pose a significant safety hazard. The cables work with pulleys on the garage door to move energy to the garage door’s springs. The door will not open without the cables and springs. 

Types of Cables 

 Garage doors have several types of cables, which are the lifting and safety cables. Lifting cables transfer energy from the springs to the door. They prevent safety issues if the garage door encounters a problem. The lifting springs help to open the garage door smoothly and efficiently, and they help open the garage door towards the ceiling. The lifting cables are comprised of the torsion and extension springs. The torsion springs release energy if you open the door, but they will also store energy for later when you lower the door. 

What are types of Cable Problems?

One of the biggest problems a garage door can face is snapped cables. If the cables snap, they’ll need the attention of a pro right away. You can tell that a cable has snapped if you suddenly have trouble opening the garage door. Other parts may be compromised, too, including the door’s motor. Regardless of the cause, you’ll want the issue repaired immediately. 

 Contact us today to learn more about garage door rollers and cables and for garage door repair broken garage door components.