What to Do When Your Garage Door Cable Has Snapped

Your Garage Door Cable Has Snapped – Now What?

A snapped garage door cable is one of the most common faults with up-and-over garage doors. One minute, your door is working fine; the next, it’s stuck, lopsided, or refuses to open at all.

If this happens at your home in Durham, or the North East, the most important thing is not to panic… and definitely don’t try to force the door open.

Here’s exactly what to do next.

Stop Using the Garage Door Immediately

If a cable has snapped, the door is no longer lifting evenly.
Trying to force it open can cause:

• The door to jam completely
• The remaining cable to snap
• Damage to rollers, guide tracks or springs
• The door to fall suddenly and cause injury

Up-and-over doors rely on equal tension on both sides, so using it with a broken cable is unsafe.

Check the Position of the Door (From a Safe Distance)

Most homeowners notice a snapped cable because the door will:

• Sit crooked or slanted
• Drop heavily on one side
• Make grinding or scraping noises
• Jam halfway
• Feel extremely heavy

A visual inspection from a distance is fine, but don’t touch the cables, springs, or arms.

Don’t Attempt a DIY Fix

Up-and-over garage door cables are under high tension.
Trying to replace a cable without the right tools or experience can lead to:

• Major injury
• The door collapsing
• Broken springs
• Bent tracks or lifting arms

DIY videos make it look simple… but it’s absolutely not.
You could easily cause more damage than the repair cost.

Keep the Door Closed if Possible

If the door is already fully closed:

• Leave it closed
• Don’t try to lift it manually
• Keep children and pets away
• If it’s stuck open, partially open, or jammed, a professional engineer can temporarily secure it or safely lower it.

Call a Professional Garage Door Repair Engineer

A snapped cable is a routine repair, but only when handled by a trained technician.
At TWS Automation, we provide fast, reliable repairs for all up-and-over doors across Durham & the North East.

What Causes Garage Door Cables to Snap?

Understanding the cause helps prevent it happening again:

Common reasons include:

• Normal wear and tear
• Rust or corrosion
• Lack of lubrication or maintenance
• Frayed or rubbing cables
• Incorrect tension
• Damaged or stiff springs
• Poor installation

Up-and-over doors are durable, but cables are a “wear part” – they weaken over time.

How Much Does a Cable Repair Cost?

Costs depend on:

• Door type (canopy vs retractable)
• Whether both cables need replacing
• Condition of rollers, pulleys and springs

We always recommend replacing both cables at the same time to avoid another failure soon after.

Preventing Future Cable Snaps

To reduce the chance of another failure:

• Get your door serviced annually
• Keep tracks and rollers clean
• Ensure springs are correctly tensioned
• Listen for new noises (scraping or grinding)
• Fix stiffness early before it strains cables

Regular servicing is much cheaper than emergency repairs.

Need Your Garage Door Cable Repaired in Durham?

A snapped garage door cable is inconvenient — but with the right engineer, it’s a quick and straightforward fix.

At TWS Automation, we offer:

• Fast local response
• Affordable cable repairs
• Fully stocked vans
• Repairs to all garage door brands
• Reliable, safe workmanship.

📍 Serving Durham & across the North East
📞 Call us today for same-day garage door cable repairs across Durham and the North East or get a quote online