There are many essential parts on your Visalia garage doors, including the rollers. Garage door rollers help keep the garage door moving smoothly, easily, and on track. Like any other part on your garage door, the rollers can break and need to be repaired or replaced. A professional specializing in garage door repair in Visalia can help you figure out when to get new rollers for your garage door. 

What Size Rollers Should You Get? 

Garage door rollers come in various sizes. That means you’ll need to take measurements to determine which rollers to buy if you’re replacing the rollers or getting new ones. The easiest way to find out what size rollers to get is to remove the rollers currently on the garage door and measure them. If you can’t get the rollers off, open the door partway so that the rollers are at eye level and you can reach them easily. Rollers come in various dimensions, but the most common sizes are 1-3 inches. To determine what size rollers you need, measure across the roller head. You should also measure the shaft or stem. Be aware that if you have an older garage door, you might need to special order rollers of a custom size. No matter what size rollers your garage door takes, make sure that the rollers are long enough. If the rollers are too short, the garage door can jump off its tracks and damage other parts of the garage door, such as the panels and hinges. Ultimately, you may have a more costly garage door repair on your hands.

 Nylon vs. Steel Replacements 

 Garage door rollers are made of various materials, including nylon and steel. The type of material you get for your garage door rollers makes a difference in how quiet the door is and the cost of the rollers. Additionally, the more ball bearings you have on the garage door, the quieter your garage door will be. Having a higher number of ball bearings also means that your garage door will last longer. Getting more ball bearings also means that the door will be more expensive, but investing in a higher-quality door upfront might lead to more cost savings down the road. Steel rollers are usually noisier than nylon rollers, but they typically last longer. However, if you get premium nylon rollers, your garage door will have an average lifespan of 12-20 years. 

How Do Garage Door Rollers Become Damaged? 

Garage door rollers generally wear out with age. However, the material they are made out of can determine their longevity. Rollers typically last a few years. During that time, the housing in the door’s bearings can loosen, which causes the bearings to jump out of the proper position and ultimately malfunction. Rollers can also malfunction due to the garage door’s weight. The bearings are subject to more pressure if the garage door is heavier. If the garage door has crooked tracks, the rollers are more likely to become worn unevenly and break. 

What To Do If Your Garage Door Rollers Are Broken? 

If the garage door rollers are broken on your garage door, it’s time to contact the pros for garage door repair in Visalia. Letting a garage door go without repairs can lead to safety issues and more costly garage door problems down the road. The rollers should be inspected by a garage door repair professional to assess whether or not they can be repaired or need to be replaced. It’s important to note that garage doors may still be able to function when the rollers are broken. However, you should still get the rollers replaced as soon as possible. You’ll know that the rollers are on their way out if you start to hear grinding or scraping noises coming from the garage door. If the rollers are not fixed promptly, your garage door’s overall function and safety may be compromised as a result.

When your garage door springs start to wear out or break, contact us to get your Visalia garage doors back in working order again. We will diagnose your garage door’s problems and make repairs as soon as possible.

When you look at your garage door, the cables might not be the first thing you notice. However, garage door cables are essential for ensuring that your garage door works properly. The cables on your garage door work in tandem with the pulleys on the door to help transfer energy to the springs. Without the cables and the springs, your garage door will not open. When the cables break, you’ll want to contact a Visalia garage door repair expert to fix the problem. 

What Cables Does A Garage Door Have? 

Your garage door comes with two types of cables called the lifting cables and the safety cables. The lifting cables help transfer energy front the springs into physically lifting the door. As the name implies, the safety cables help you avoid getting hurt if the lifting springs encounter a problem. 

Lifting Springs 

The lifting springs are what physically cause your Visalia garage doors to open. While you might press the button on your garage door opener to open the garage door, it is the lifting springs that do all the hard work behind the scenes. The lifting springs help to smoothly and effortlessly open the garage door and move it upwards towards the ceiling in the garage. 

 There are several kinds of lifting cables in your Visalia garage doors. They are called extension springs and torsion springs. Torsion springs store energy by moving into a coiled position. They are located above the garage door in the wall. The torsion spring releases its energy when you lift up the door. When the door is lowered, the torsion springs recoil to save energy for the next time the door is lifted. The extension springs are located perpendicular to the garage door. They store their energy in an extended position. Extension springs will then release their energy when you lift up the garage door and then lower it back down so that the springs extend again. 

Safety Cables 

The safety cables on your garage door extend from the door frame to the point where they attach to a hook screw that holds the extension spring. If the spring breaks, the safety cable keeps the other components from essentially exploding and potentially causing serious harm. It’s critical to keep the safety cables in good shape so that they can help you out in case you ever need them. 

When The Cables Snap 

One of the most common problems with garage door cables that warrants repairs is the cables snapping. The lifting cables, in particular, are prone to snapping and breaking. The lifting cables are subject to wearing out depending on their age and the environmental conditions that they are exposed to. The lifting cables are used every time you open and close the garage door. The lifting cables encounter a fair amount of friction every time you open and close the door, regardless of other external environmental factors. At the same time, they are opening the door; they are also supporting hundreds of pounds worth of pressure. 

How To Tell If A Cable Is Broken 

Occasionally, you can tell if a cable on your garage door has broken and needs replacement. One key sign is if the garage door suddenly has trouble opening. A door that can’t open normally can be caused by several issues, including a failing motor. Therefore, you should check the motor and other parts, such as the springs, to ensure they are not causing problems. If those parts are fine, you may be dealing with a broken spring or lifting cable that needs to be repaired immediately. Wires that are hanging loose can also indicate a problem. If you see frayed wires hanging next to the garage door, it might mean that the lifting cable has snapped. The wires will become frayed before they break, and when they do break, the individual wire strands are frayed even further. 

If you have concluded that the cables on your garage doors are no longer safe, it’s time to contact the pros for proper Visalia garage door repair. Trying to repair or replace the cables on your own can lead to disastrous and dangerous consequences. Contact us today for safe, affordable, and reliable repairs for your garage doors.