A door that lifts unevenly, or one side that's noticeably lower than the other, is usually a cable problem, not the door warping.
Uneven lifting. The most common symptom. If one side of the door rises before the other, or the whole door hangs at a slight angle when closed, a cable on one side has stretched, slipped off its drum, or started to fray.
A frayed cable you can see. Cables run along the tracks close to the rollers, visible frayed strands are a clear warning sign, not something to wait out. A cable in that state can snap without further notice.
A snapped cable, door stuck. If a cable's fully gone, the door usually won't move safely in either direction, and shouldn't be forced. Treat this the same as a broken spring, stop and call rather than push through it.
The cables and the spring work together to counterbalance the door's weight, the spring provides the lifting force, the cables transfer it evenly to both sides of the door. That's why a cable fault often shows up looking like a spring fault, and why we'll check both when we're out for either one. If a cable's failed because a spring was already weakening and putting extra strain on it, replacing just the cable without addressing the spring is a repair that won't last.
A door with a compromised cable is carrying its weight unevenly, and forcing it through a cycle risks the door coming off the tracks entirely, or the remaining good cable taking on load it wasn't rated for and failing too. If you've noticed uneven lifting, that's the moment to stop using the door and call, not after it gets worse.
Safely clamped before any tension is released, same safety approach as a spring job.
We inspect the spring's condition while we're in there, not just the failed cable.
New cable correctly tensioned and seated on the drum.
Full cycle check to confirm even lifting before we leave.
Cable replacement typically runs £100–£220, often close to spring replacement pricing since it's a similar job with similar safety considerations. See the full price breakdown or use the estimator there for a quick range.
Sometimes, if the spring's genuinely in good condition. We'll check rather than assume, since a cable failure caused by spring strain will just recur if the spring isn't addressed too.
No, the same tension risks that apply to springs apply here. This is a professional job, not a weekend project.
Most calls booked before early afternoon get a same-day slot. No callout fee if we carry out the repair.