Cables attach your torsion spring system to the bottom fixture. This ensures the door lifts from the bottom up and puts the least amount of stress on all its moving parts. If your cable comes off or breaks, it removes tension from the spring and causes your door to become severely unbalanced. Broken cables are not a repair most homeowners are equipped to handle themselves. Repairing cables requires special equipment to rewind the spring and bring the cable to the correct balance for optimal performance. Without the proper tools, this could be a very dangerous repair for a DIY fix. Always call a professional.

The garage door’s bearings keep it running smoothly. Often if the garage door begins to shake or if the garage door becomes extremely noisy, it could mean that the garage door bearings are wearing out. The center bearing plate and end bearing plates are common replacement parts.

Garage door cable drums are located on the torsion spring shaft. The torsion spring shaft and drums rotate to coil cable wires onto the cable drum and lift the door. Cable drums are designed to reel in and dispense cable in an orderly manner, thus preventing cable chafing or overlapping. If you have a broken cable or drum it is best to have it replaced as soon as possible to avoid damage to other components of the garage door system. Only garage door professionals should replace garage door drums due to the extremely dangerous nature of these systems and the intense forces involved.

Proper reinforcement adds years to the life of your door. Struts are applied to door sections to increase stability while the door is in the open position, reduce the stress on hinges and rollers, and prevent the door from binding or breaking as it opens and closes. We recommend strut support on single car residential garage doors if the door is motor-operated steel. Without proper reinforcement, an electric opener’s force is strong enough to bend steel doors and tear up sections. A properly placed strut can save you money on future repairs, but the additional weight of a strut adds stress to existing springs. We recommend updating your springs if you add a strut to a two-car garage door.

The force settings act as a secondary safety mechanism in the event of safety sensor failure. Improperly adjusted force settings cause damage to your garage door and may be dangerous for people and animals in the vicinity. If a child or animal is in the path of travel as a garage door with faulty force settings close, they could be seriously injured. The force settings could also be a concern if your garage door gradually stops fully opening or closing. Old and weakened springs shift much of the burden for lifting and lowering the door to the opener motor. The opener motor is not equipped to handle this much weight and begins to strain. To test if the problem lies with the door or the opener, pull the emergency release handle hanging from the opener rail. This disengages the opener, and allows you to open and close the door manually. Lift and lower the door, testing the spring and rail systems. Your door should stay at any point of travel when released on its own. If it travels, then the springs are worn and require replacement. If, however, the door stays where it is released and moves up and down smoothly, then the problem is likely an internal component in the garage door opener unit itself. You can keep the opener disengaged, and manually open and close your garage until you are able to set an appointment for repair.

The gear is located inside the opener. Over time the gear strips out and need to be replaced. Garage door gears have plastic teeth, which are designed to strip out when over-exerted so that the garage door opener’s motor does not burn out. Gears are quickly stripped if the garage door is being operated with a weak spring. However, all gears eventually strip due to normal wear and tear. Stripped gears prevent the garage door from opening and cause the opener to make a humming sound.

The seal around your door protects your garage and home from unwanted critters and insects. It also stops moisture and cold air from seeping in around the edges of your garage door, thus keeping down utility bills and protecting items stored inside your garage. The door seals (or weather-stripping) gradually wear out from exposure to the elements. Monitor the outside seals – nailed to the wood trim around your door’s opening – to ensure that your garage and your stored items are kept safe from damage. If the seals show wear and tear, call us for a replacement.

Also known as the circuit board, the logic board is the computer portion of the opener. If the logic board is damaged, your opener will stop consistently responding to signals from remotes and keypads. Electrical storms and lightning strikes are a common source of logic board failure in Texas. A proper surge protector will protect your logic board from electrical storms. If you have intermittent issues with opening or closing your doors, we recommend contacting Welborn Garage Door Company for a free diagnostic consultation.

The possibilities for section damage are endless. They can be bumped and dented by cars, bikes, and people playing sports too close to the door. Foundation and opener problems can also cause the sections to warp and bend, leading to performance problems. We examine the section to see if it can be repaired or match the brand to your other sections and replace it. Sometimes the damage is cosmetic and can be fixed by adding a strut or other form of brace. If the section is cracking or creasing, panel replacement may be the only option. If we replace the section, we will need to set up a second appointment to install your new section.

Rollers keep your door gliding up and down the tracks smoothly and safely. When they become worn over time, they stop rolling altogether and begin to drag up and down the track, putting stress on your opener. The most common causes of worn out ball bearings and roller damage are dust, dirt, and age. Dust and dirt particles work their way into the grooves and stop the rollers from turning. We recommend keeping your rollers clean with regular maintenance and petroleum-based lubricant spray to keep them rolling smoothly up the track. This will also keep the door quiet. If your door is starting to shimmy up the track or you notice it getting louder, call us for a free service call to come and check the rollers to see if you need replacement.

Do you love your door? You can preserve your investment by converting an extension spring system to a torsion spring system. A well-designed spring system counterbalances your garage door – and only torsions spring systems are designed to work as a pair as opposed to extension springs which work individually. This service conversion includes a shaft, springs and drum assembly installed directly above the opening of your garage door. The torsion spring evenly distributes the garage door’s weight, which is critical to extending the life of your garage door.

Safety beams work in pairs, mounted on either side of the garage door at no more than 6 inches above the ground. Each sensor beams a light across the opening. When the beam is obstructed or when the sensors cannot catch the other sensor’s signal, the garage door opener will not close. The fix is simple: If your door won’t close, check for objects obstructing the sensors. If the door still will not close, check that the sensors are aligned, and clean the sensor’s surface to remove moisture, dirt or other particulates. Afterwards, attempt to open/close the garage door again. If you are still unsuccessful, call us for a free consultation.