Garage door rollers look and act like car wheels, but they are for your garage door instead. Garage door rollers help your garage door run smoothly. They should be quiet when in use and allow the garage door to open and close on demand without a problem. As with any garage door component, the rollers can break and encounter problems from time to time. Issues with the garage door rollers may include environmental damage from dirt and moisture exposure to rollers that break from old age. No matter what the problem is, the professionals at Mission Viejo garage doors can troubleshoot your garage door and fix the issue right away. 

 Get the Right Rollers 

Garage door rollers come in various sizes to properly match your garage door. You will need to have rollers of the right size to match your garage door. Otherwise, the door and the rollers will not work properly. On your own, you can measure the rollers on your garage door if you feel comfortable performing the task. You will need to remove one of the current rollers on your garage door to get the correct size. Sometimes, you may not be able to remove the garage door rollers if the door is stuck, heavy, or if you cannot reach the rollers. If that is the case, try lowering the garage door to eye level so that you have easier access to the garage door rollers. For residential garage doors, the most common sizes for rollers are ¾ of an inch, one inch, and 2 ¾-inch rollers. You should also measure the length of the stem that the rollers are attached to. Older garage doors may need to have rollers built of a custom size. If your garage door is newer, however, you can look for replacement rollers yourself or contact professionals who are knowledgeable about Mission Viejo garage doors to make sure that you are getting rollers of the correct size. 

 Nylon or Steel Rollers? 

In addition to finding rollers that match your garage door in size, you will have to decide whether to get rollers made out of nylon or steel. Both materials are used for residential and commercial garage doors, but they vary in factors such as longevity and noise level. Generally, the more ball bearings a roller has, the less noise it will make when you open and close the garage door. While that might seem like a minor detail, it is an essential consideration if the garage door is located under the main floor or next to a room where the excess noise may be a problem. Although having more ball bearings on a roller makes the garage door quieter, it also increases its price. However, keep in mind that most rollers last 15-20 years. To have a garage door that does not annoy you and your family, you may decide it is worth the investment to get rollers of a higher quality to start with. 

Nylon garage door rollers will last anywhere from 12-20 years. Nylon rollers have about 13 ball bearings, which allows them to run smoothly and quietly for awhile. Nylon rollers do not have to be lubricated, which reduces the likelihood of them making excess noise. Steel garage door rollers may last even longer than nylon garage door rollers, but they also make more noise. Steel rollers are ideal for residential garage doors where noise will not be an issue, and they can also be used successfully with commercial garage doors. 

 Does Your Garage Door Need New Rollers? 

When you own your house, you will use the garage door hundreds, if not thousands, of times. The rollers are one part of the garage door that is used heavily. Therefore, they can break or wear out and need the evaluation of a technician who performs garage door repairs in Mission Viejo. You should always hire a professional to assess and fix your garage door’s problems, but before help arrives, you can do some troubleshooting on your own. You can look for signs that your Mission Viejo garage doors need new rollers, including excessive vibration or shaking when you open the garage door. If the door is rattling and making noise, the rollers may be worn out and need to be changed. The door may also become misaligned, which will happen more frequently as the rollers become worn out. The garage door may also fall off its hinges regularly, which is another sign that the door’s rollers should be inspected at the least and changed if needed. The garage door may also make more noise than usual. If your garage door seems to be making a racket, the rollers may have developed rust. They will need to be lubricated or replaced. 

If you need prompt garage door repair, do not hesitate to get in touch. We can assess your garage door and recommend replacing parts for the door’s smooth operation as needed.

While many components on your garage doors can help lift and lower the doors, the cables are one of the core components that help with your garage doors’ safe and proper operation. The cables are responsible for lifting and closing the garage door when you press the button on the garage door opener. Since the cables are intimately involved with opening and closing the door, you’ll need to have them replaced or repaired as soon as possible when you notice something is wrong, as the garage door can become dangerous if it does not work correctly. Contact us right away for garage door repair when you need help with the cables on your garage door. 

 What are Cables? 

The cables on your garage door work hard behind the scenes to make sure your garage door opens and closes properly. The cables are one of the most hardworking components of your garage door, and when they break, your garage door can be negatively affected. The cables should work smoothly and quietly like a reliable motor. The cables also work hand-in-hand with the garage door springs, so if the cables break the springs will not be able to perform their job, either. If you suspect that the garage door cables are broken, it is best to contact a technician to take a look at your garage door, since the symptoms of broken springs and cables can be difficult to distinguish. 

 Types of Garage Door Cables 

Every garage door has several kinds of cables that help it function. A garage door has lifting cables of several varieties. The lifting cables are attached to pulleys that help open the garage door. There is usually one cable for lifting on each side of the garage door. The cables work together to help properly raise and lower the door. If the cables break, they will fail to open or close the door, leading to dangerous consequences. The other kind of cables your garage door uses is safety cables. The safety cables help the lifting cables move the garage door safely and properly. The safety cables reach from the garage door’s frame through the extension spring to the screw hook that holds the extension spring in place. The safety cables are designed to keep the garage door from suddenly opening or closing quickly, which can cause serious injury or even death to people standing near the garage door. The safety cables should be kept in good working condition so that they do not cause problems when they are needed. If the power in your house goes out and you cannot use the garage door opener to open the garage door, you can still pull down on the emergency release cable to disconnect the garage door motor and open the door manually. 

 What Causes Cables to Break? 

Your garage door’s cables can break or stop working for many reasons. No matter what causes the garage door’s cables to stop functioning correctly, they will slip off their drums, which causes a garage door malfunction. That can happen for a few different reasons, including a failure of the auto-reverse feature, improperly adjusted springs, and broken springs. The auto-reverse feature is a safety mechanism found on all contemporary garage doors. The feature works by shining a light across the door’s opening. If the light is interrupted, the feature will stop the garage door from moving. If the auto-reverse feature breaks, the garage door can continue moving even if an object is in its path. 

 If the springs are not calibrated correctly, the garage door does not open and close evenly. The cables are at a higher risk of breaking with improper or uneven tension. Springs that are not properly adjusted can cause the garage door to crash suddenly, much like a broken spring, and they can also cause the door to appear uneven. The door may also have trouble opening and closing. 

 The cables can become disconnected from their spools, derailing the garage door. The springs can also break, making the cables lose tension and allowing the door to crash down. If your garage door has two springs and one break, the door will appear lopsided, but it might not crash to the ground. If the garage door is older and only has one tension spring, a broken spring will cause the door to crash into the garage floor. 

 The cables are an essential part of your garage door’s function, and the cables play a critical role in helping the garage door operate safely and smoothly. If you think that there is something wrong with the springs on your garage door, contact us for Mission Viejo garage door repair. We can evaluate the garage door to determine if the cables are causing the underlying problem and fix or repair them if that is the case.