Safety Cables Are Good Friends

You might not have made their acquaintance just yet, but safety cables can be very good friends. They won’t make your life difficult during installation; they will hardly break; you don’t have to empty your bank account in order to buy them; and above all they can protect you from garage door accidents. What more would you ask from a friend? The first question is whether you have heard of them or not! The second question is whether you have realized their value or just disregarded them before even taking a minute to learn more about them. After all that we have seen at Garage Door Repair Santa Ana, all we can say is that it’s worth taking a second to discover the merits of these parts and consider whether you need them, too.

What are Safety Cables?

They look like wires. Do you remember how your regular garage door cables look like? They are similar. They are just installed for an entirely different reason. They are installed to offer protection should the extension springs break. Their installation is easy. One end is attached to the angle close to one end of the spring and the other end is attached to the opposite side, where the other end of the spring is attached, too. They are laced through the spring and they can’t be too loose or too tight.

Their Relation with Springs

Let’s take a step back. Let’s go back to the beginning. You have surely heard how dangerous springs can be! If you own an overhead door, you have probably heard or read about it (and hopefully haven’t experienced any related accidents). Springs break. Whether we like it or not, springs are designed to last for a specific period of time (the more you use the door, the sooner they’ll give out). The secret to avoid having a spring snapping against your face is to replace them before they break. Garage door springs are tensed (otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to move the door). You can only imagine what will happen if they break and all this tension is released. What they actually do is flying. They will fly in the air and will hit anything and anyone in their way. That’s when safety cables come in.

Why Safety Cables are Important

With spring coils breaking, you won’t avoid seeing flying objects in your garage (it won’t be a UFO either; just the spring). If you are in its way, think of how many surgeries you will need to recover. If the spring ends up against the wall, prepare to get the place reconstructed. What safety cables do is keep them from flying. Laced through the extension garage door springs, they will keep them in place. The broken springs will still need replacement, but it will only be on the expense of your bank account and not your safety. Your friends will keep you safe (that’s why they are called safety cables in the first place).