Garage door problems never happen at a convenient time. Usually, it’s Monday morning when you’re already late for work, or late at night when you just want to secure your home. Whether your car is trapped inside or your garage door is stuck wide open, a malfunction quickly shifts from a minor nuisance to a major garage door emergency.
When your door fails, your home’s security and your family’s safety are on the line. Here is exactly what you should do when the unexpected happens and why same-day service is essential.
Key Steps
1. Safety First: Do Not Force the Door
A standard residential garage door is incredibly heavy, often weighing several hundred pounds. It relies on high-tension springs to lift that weight, and when those springs or cables break, the door becomes a dead weight. If your garage door is damaged:
- Stop immediately: If the door is moving unevenly, making grinding noises, or is stuck halfway, stop using the opener
- Don’t DIY: Attempting to force a stuck door can cause it to crash down or pull the tracks out of the wall
- Clear the area: Keep children and pets away from the door until a professional arrives
2. Identify the Red Flags
You don’t need to be a technician to know you have a garage door emergency. If you notice any of the following, you need professional help immediately:
- A Loud Bang: A sound like a gunshot usually indicates a snapped torsion spring.
- Off the Tracks: If the rollers have come out of the metal tracks, the door could fall at any moment.
- Hanging Cables: Loose or frayed cables mean the door is no longer supported safely.
- The Motor Runs, but Nothing Moves: This often signals a stripped gear or a disconnected carriage.
- Door Stuck Open: This is a primary security risk, leaving your home and belongings exposed to the elements and intruders.
3. The Emergency Release: Use with Caution
In some cases, you may need to use the red emergency release cord to move the door manually. However, be extremely careful—you should never pull the release cord if the door is open or stuck halfway, as it may come crashing down if the springs are broken. Only use the manual release if the door is fully closed and you need to disconnect it from the opener.
Why Same-Day Service is Critical
Waiting to fix a garage door rarely saves money—in fact, it usually costs more. A door that’s hanging crooked puts a great deal of strain on the tracks and the opener motor, potentially turning a simple repair into a full replacement.
Additionally, a broken garage door is just asking for a security breach. Same-day service ensures that:
- Your vehicles aren’t trapped inside when you need them
- Your home is sealed and secure against the weather and theft
- Small issues (like a worn roller) are fixed before they snap a cable or break a spring
What to Expect from a Professional Visit
When you call Overhead Door Company of Calgary™, Lethbridge™, and Cranbrook™ with a garage door emergency, a trained technician will arrive with a fully stocked truck. Our goal is to restore your door’s function on the spot. We’ll inspect the entire system—including springs, cables, and sensors—to ensure that once the door is moving again, it’s doing so safely.
Don’t Let a Garage Door Emergency: Call in the Pros
If you have a garage door emergency, don’t wait. For over 50 years, our highly trained team has provided emergency and same-day repairs to Canadians. At Overhead Door Company of Calgary™, Lethbridge™, and Cranbrook™, we specialize in fast, reliable repairs to get your life back on track.
Contact us now for same-day garage door service and repair, and restore your peace of mind instantly!
