Can I open the door by hand until someone gets here?

No. With one cable off, the weight is on one side only and the door can twist or drop. Leave it alone and keep the opening clear.

Why replace both cables when only one broke?

The two cables have done the same number of cycles in the same Tallahassee humidity, so the second one is usually not far behind. They are replaced in pairs and sized to your door height so both sides wind evenly.

My door was fine until a storm came through. Is that related?

It can be. Tallahassee's canopy roads and heavy live oak and pine cover mean falling limbs are the leading cause of storm damage to garage doors here, and an impact or a hard wind event can knock a door out of square and strain the cables. The technician checks the door, the drums and the springs together.

Do I need a permit for this?

In Florida a permit is typically required to replace a garage door, because the door is part of the building envelope and must meet Florida Building Code requirements. A cable repair is a different matter, and permits are issued locally. Ask the technician and confirm with your city or county building department.

Who actually shows up?

One Call Garage Door is a referral and scheduling service. We arrange the job with an independent local technician. We are not the contractor and we do not perform the work.

The estimate is free. The technician looks at the door and gives you the price before any work starts, and you approve it first.

Stop using the door

Cable snapped in Tallahassee, FL

You looked at the door and saw a cable hanging loose, and the door is sitting crooked in the opening. That is almost always a lift cable that has snapped or jumped off its drum. One side is still carrying the weight and the other side is not, so the door is twisted and the tension is no longer balanced. Leave it where it is. Do not run the opener to try to straighten it out.

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Cables fail here for a reason. Tallahassee sits in a humid subtropical climate with long, very humid summers, and that constant moisture rusts springs, hinges, rollers and fasteners over time. Rust at the drum is a common cause of a cable going bad. The city's canopy of live oak and pine keeps homes shaded and damp, which does the hardware no favors either. Add a mid-century brick ranch near the core with an original single-layer wood door and aging exterior hardware, and worn cable is one of the most ordinary calls on the list.

While you wait — please don't

Do not use the door. A crooked door under tension is the most dangerous state a garage door gets into, and one more cycle can pull it further off square or drop it.
Do not pull on the hanging cable. That cable may still be wound on a drum under load, and pulling it can snap it back or release the door.
Do not try this yourself. Cables, drums and springs are all holding the weight of the door, and the tools and winding procedure are not forgiving of mistakes.
Do not park under it or let kids near it. Keep the car out and keep people out of the opening until a technician has looked at it, because the door is not being held evenly.
Do not just replace the one that broke. Cables are replaced in pairs, and a new cable paired with a worn one puts you right back where you started.

What the technician does

The door is secured firstThe technician takes the load off before anything is loosened, because the door is sitting unbalanced. Nothing gets opened or cycled until it is safe to do so.
Cables replaced in pairsBoth cables come off and both go back on, sized to the height of your door. Matching cables are what keep the two sides pulling the same.
Drums re-seated and re-setThe drums are put back in position and set so both sides wind evenly. This is the step that stops the door going crooked again.
Springs checked at the same timeSprings and cables work together and age together, so the technician looks at the spring condition while the door is apart. If something is worn, you hear about it before any work starts.
Door re-squaredThe door is brought back level in the opening so it sits flat against the floor and seals properly.
Cycle testedThe door is run up and down to confirm both sides track evenly and the door holds where it should.

Why this happens in Tallahassee, FL

Humidity is the quiet problem in Tallahassee. The summers are long and very humid, afternoon thunderstorms are routine, and across Florida that constant heat and moisture speeds up rust on springs, hinges, rollers and fasteners. The city sits roughly 25 miles inland from the Gulf, so you are not fighting direct salt air the way coastal homes are, but shaded, damp conditions under the oak and pine canopy keep hardware wet longer than it should be. Corrosion at the drum end of a cable is a common way these fail.

Season matters too. Demand climbs through the June to November hurricane season, and storms like Hermine, Michael, Idalia and Helene brought hurricane-force gusts and heavy tree damage to the area. Falling limbs and whole trees are the leading cause of storm damage to garage doors here, and a door that has taken a hit or been forced against its stops can throw a cable later. Winters still bring multiple freezes and hard frosts, and spring squall lines add wind and hail risk. Whether you are in Killearn Estates, Southwood, Betton Hills, Indian Head Acres or out toward Woodville or Crawfordville, the hardware is working in the same conditions.

Questions people ask

Can I open the door by hand until someone gets here?: No. With one cable off, the weight is on one side only and the door can twist or drop. Leave it alone and keep the opening clear.
Why replace both cables when only one broke?: The two cables have done the same number of cycles in the same Tallahassee humidity, so the second one is usually not far behind. They are replaced in pairs and sized to your door height so both sides wind evenly.
My door was fine until a storm came through. Is that related?: It can be. Tallahassee's canopy roads and heavy live oak and pine cover mean falling limbs are the leading cause of storm damage to garage doors here, and an impact or a hard wind event can knock a door out of square and strain the cables. The technician checks the door, the drums and the springs together.
Do I need a permit for this?: In Florida a permit is typically required to replace a garage door, because the door is part of the building envelope and must meet Florida Building Code requirements. A cable repair is a different matter, and permits are issued locally. Ask the technician and confirm with your city or county building department.
Who actually shows up?: One Call Garage Door is a referral and scheduling service. We arrange the job with an independent local technician. We are not the contractor and we do not perform the work.
What does it cost?: The estimate is free. The technician looks at the door and gives you the price before any work starts, and you approve it first.

One call

Call (866) 394-4210 and we will arrange a garage door technician for your Tallahassee address. The estimate is free, and you hear the price and approve it before any work begins.

Call now · (866) 394-4210

Same problem in nearby cities

Every city we cover in Florida

Something else in this area

One Call Garage Door arranges the visit; the technician does the work and gives you the price.