Up and Down Garage Doors diagnoses and repairs garage doors with one side lower than the other across Metro Vancouver BC, correcting track misalignment, broken springs, and frayed cables that cause dangerous tilting and opener strain.
Why One Side Sits Lower in Metro Vancouver Homes
Metro Vancouver’s wet winters and humid summers accelerate rust on torsion springs and cables, especially in older Richmond and Delta ranches where original hardware was never galvanized. Coastal salt air in Tsawwassen and White Rock corrodes bottom brackets faster, letting cables slip. In newer Surrey and Langley townhomes, tight clearances between the door and framed opening mean even 3 mm of track shift makes one side drag. Freeze-thaw cycles in January heave concrete pads under vertical tracks, tilting the entire assembly.
Common Causes We See on Service Calls
Broken or Stretched Extension Springs
Extension springs on older single-car doors in East Vancouver and Burnaby often stretch unevenly after 8–10 years. When one spring loses tension, that side drops 25–50 mm. We replace both springs as a pair to restore balance.
Frayed or Jumped Lift Cables
Cables jump off drums when bottom brackets rust through — common in North Shore homes where driveway drainage pools against the door. A jumped cable lets that corner fall while the opener keeps pulling the other side.
Bent Horizontal Tracks
Backing into the door or hitting it with a bike rack bends the horizontal track on one side. We straighten or replace track sections on-site rather than selling a full door replacement.
Worn Roller Stems or Hinges
Nylon rollers crack after 15,000 cycles; steel stems bend. When rollers bind on one side, the door twists in the opening. We carry 11-ball-bearing nylon rollers rated for 20,000+ cycles for the wet climate.
FAQ
Can weather alone cause one side to sag without anything breaking?
Yes, to a small degree. Wood-composite and older steel doors can absorb moisture unevenly along one edge during Metro Vancouver’s wet months, causing a slight, temporary sag that isn’t a hardware failure at all. This is usually minor (a few millimetres) and self-corrects as the door dries out. If the tilt is more than about a centimetre, stays after dry weather returns, or gets worse over time, that’s a hardware issue — cables, springs, or rollers — not a moisture issue.
Can I manually lift the low side to close the door?
Only if the opener is disconnected and you have help. A tilted door weighs 60–80 kg on one corner — lifting it alone risks back injury and can snap the remaining good cable.
Will the opener force the door down and cause damage?
Yes. Modern openers exert 300–500 N of force. If one side binds, the opener bends the top panel, strips the trolley, or shears the J-arm. Disconnect the opener (red cord) until we repair it.
Do you replace just the broken spring or both?
Always both. Springs wear at the same rate; replacing one leaves the other near failure. Matched pairs keep the door level and protect the opener.
How long does an uneven-door repair take?
Most single-door jobs — springs, cables, track alignment — finish in 90–120 minutes. Two-car doors with bent tracks may need 2–3 hours if we order a specific track radius.
Is it cheaper to fix or replace the whole door?
Repair runs a fraction of replacement cost when panels and insulation are intact. We quote repair vs. replacement on-site so you can decide.
Do you service all Metro Vancouver cities?
Yes — Richmond, Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Delta, Langley, Coquitlam, New Westminster, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, White Rock, and Tsawwassen. Same-day service when booked before noon.
Book Your Uneven Door Repair Today
Call 778-873-7282 or tap 778-873-7282 from your phone. Up and Down Garage Doors arrives with the right springs, cables, and track parts for your door model.
Garage Door Repair Richmond BC | Spring Replacement | Cable Repair | Emergency Repair | Annual Maintenance