Both cables swapped today.
Same-day cable replacement across the Atlanta metro — both lift cables replaced as a pair, every time. Galvanized stocked on every truck; lake-area homes (Acworth, Lake Allatoona, Sweetwater Creek) get the heavier marine-grade upgrade by default at no extra cost. Quoted in writing, with lifetime workmanship on the labor. Family-owned since 1979, dispatching from Douglasville and Alpharetta — W-2 Metro techs only.
Metro replaces both lift cables as a pair, every time. Standard galvanized cables stocked on every truck; lake-area homes (Acworth, Lake Allatoona, Sweetwater Creek) get the heavier marine-grade galvanized upgrade by default at no extra cost. Quoted in writing before any work begins. Lifetime workmanship. Family-owned, never subcontracted, dispatching from two Atlanta-metro locations since 1979.
The other cable has the same age, the same Atlanta humidity exposure, and the same fatigue as the one that just snapped — typically weeks or months behind on its own failure timeline. Replacing both in the same visit eliminates the second emergency call for a small parts premium. Industry safety standard.
Standard residential galvanized cables (7x19 strand) work fine in dry inland Atlanta garages. Lake-area homes get the heavier marine-grade galvanized upgrade by default — 2–3x corrosion lifespan in humid conditions, no extra labor, no extra cost. Acworth, Lake Allatoona, Sweetwater Creek, dense-tree-canopy properties — we install the upgrade automatically.
Every cable replacement is covered by The Metro Promise — lifetime workmanship plus a 90-day make-it-right guarantee. If a cable we installed frays or snaps under normal use, we come back. The cable manufacturer warranty passes through to you.
Springs get the dramatic snap. Cables fray gradually for months — and then the door drops on one side mid-cycle. Here's how Atlanta humidity speeds the failure and why the lake-area upgrade exists.
What lift cables actually do. Two galvanized steel cables run from the bottom corners of your garage door up to drums mounted on the torsion shaft above the door. As the spring twists the shaft, the drums wind the cables up and lift the door. The springs do the work; the cables are the linkage. Lose a cable and the door drops on one side, twists the panels, and either falls or wedges in the tracks. Standard cables are 7x19 stranded galvanized steel, roughly 1/8 inch thick, rated for the door's weight plus a safety multiplier.
Why both cables always go in pairs. Same reason as torsion springs — the second cable has identical age, identical Atlanta humidity exposure, identical cycle count, and identical fatigue as the broken one. It's typically weeks or months behind on its own failure timeline. Replacing only the broken cable means a second emergency call inside the year, plus the door operates with mismatched cable tension in between (which puts uneven load on the spring system and the opener). Industry standard for any garage door tech who isn't trying to milk return visits.
What causes Atlanta cable failure — three culprits. First, humidity-driven corrosion. Standard galvanized coatings degrade faster in moist garage environments — Lake Acworth and Lake Allatoona waterfront homes can lose a cable to rust in 5–7 years vs. the 10–15 year inland average. Sweetwater Creek and tree-shaded properties (Roswell historic district, Inman Park bungalows) sit in the middle. Second, spring-failure cascade damage — when a torsion spring snaps, the cable on the same side often takes shock damage and may fray weeks or months later. Third, worn cable drums: the grooved spools the cables wind onto develop sharp edges over years and cut the cable strand-by-strand. Roller misalignment and off-track door operation can also cause cable abrasion.
The lake-area galvanized upgrade. Lake-adjacent homes (Acworth, Lake Allatoona, Sweetwater Creek waterfront, Vinings backing the Chattahoochee) get our heavier marine-grade galvanized cable by default — 2–3x the corrosion lifespan in humid conditions. No extra labor, no extra cost. We've been doing lake-area cable work since 1979 and the spec exists because we got tired of going back to the same houses every 5 years for the same standard-cable failure.
Our process. Block the door with vise grips, support the door panels, release torsion-spring tension carefully, remove old cables from the bottom-corner brackets and from the cable drums, inspect the drums for sharp edges (replace if worn — quoted on the same written estimate), thread the new cables, wind torsion back to spec, run the door 5–10 cycles to verify cable seating, lubricate moving parts with silicone. From arrival to handoff: typically 45–60 minutes for a single-door, 60–90 for a double.
If any of these describe your door right now, don't operate it. A cable failure can drop the door mid-cycle and twist the panels out of the tracks. Call (770) 526-1214 — most Atlanta-metro homes get same-day service.
The lift cable on the low-hanging side has broken. The door is being held up only by the spring + the remaining cable, with the panels twisting under uneven load. Don't operate the opener — running it will worsen the twist and may bind the door in the tracks. Block the door, call us. Standard pair-replacement, quoted in writing on arrival.
Visible fraying means individual steel strands have broken — typically you'll see 2–6 broken strands sticking out from the otherwise tight cable bundle. This is the 6–12 month warning before the cable snaps completely. Schedule pair-replacement now instead of an emergency call after the snap. Especially common on lake-area homes hitting their 5–7 year corrosion mark.
If the cable is slack but not broken, the cable has either come off the drum (winding spool at the spring shaft) or the spring tension dropped to where the cable can't stay seated. Either way, the door isn't safely operable. We rewrap the cable, inspect the drum for sharp edges or wear, and check spring tension. If the drum is worn, we replace it on the same visit (quoted on the same written estimate) — sharp drum edges will cut a new cable in months.
Cable failure rarely happens in isolation. The spring on the same side may have shock damage; the cable drum may be worn; the rollers and tracks may show abrasion from the off-balance door. While we're on-site we inspect everything — quoted in writing, your call to approve.
If a spring failure caused the cable to snap (or vice versa), both go in the same visit. Pair replacement, quoted in writing on arrival.
Worn rollers stress the spring and opener. Nylon high-cycle upgrade is quieter and longer-lasting.
Springs, cables, rollers, panels, openers — all repairs we handle, all in one place.
A door operating on bad springs strains the opener motor. Worth checking after any spring fix.
22-point inspection catches spring fatigue, cable fray, and roller wear before they become emergencies.
GreenSky financing through Synovus Bank. 0% APR options available on qualifying installations.
Background reading on garage door mechanics from our team's field notes.
Cables are always installed in matched pairs. We inspect the drums and balance-test the door before we leave, and every job gets a photo for your records.
When Metro answers the phone, a Metro tech shows up. Never a subcontractor. Trained in our Douglasville shop on cable replacement, drum inspection, and lake-area marine-grade upgrades. W-2 employees in branded Metro trucks.
Want to meet the full team? See every Metro tech →
Cable pricing varies by cable spec (standard galvanized vs marine-grade) and whether the drums need replacement too. We don't publish a flat rate. What we guarantee: an upfront written estimate before any work begins, parts and labor itemized, and the repair backed for life.
Cable pair (standard galvanized or marine-grade), drum replacement if needed, and any related hardware (rollers, spring inspection) priced before we start. The number on your written estimate is the number on your invoice.
Every Metro technician is a W-2 employee. Never a subcontractor. Trained in our Douglasville shop on spring sizing and winding procedure. Branded trucks. The name on the door matches the name on the paycheck.
Lifetime workmanship + 90-day make-it-right. If a spring we installed snaps under normal use, we come back. The spring manufacturer's warranty passes through to you.
What you see is what you pay — same price across the metro, backed for life.
"Door dropped on one side mid-cycle on a Saturday morning — frayed cable. Brandon arrived in 90 minutes, replaced both cables (industry standard he explained), inspected the drums and rollers, balance-tested. The total exactly matched the written estimate he gave me on arrival — no surprise add-ons. Door operates better than it has in years."
"Lake Acworth home — cables had been failing every 5–6 years on standard galvanized. Metro recommended the marine-grade upgrade and installed it at the same price as standard. Six years later, no failure. Same tech (Dewayne) came back for an unrelated tune-up and the cables still look brand-new. Honest call on the upgrade."
"Caught a frayed cable on our annual tune-up — Jake said we had 6–12 months before snap and could schedule the replacement on our timeline. We did it the next month on a normal scheduled visit instead of an emergency call after the cable broke. That's the kind of preventive guidance that earns the customer for life."
Based on 1,200+ reviews across both Metro locations — 4.9★ on Google, A+ on BBB, 4.9★ on HomeAdvisor, 4.9★ on Thumbtack · Read all reviews →
West and South Atlanta calls dispatch from our Douglasville HQ; intown East Atlanta + Buckhead + Brookhaven calls dispatch from our Alpharetta location. Standard galvanized + marine-grade lake-area cables stocked at both — most calls same-day.
Outside our Phase 1 cities? Call (770) 526-1214 — we serve 100+ Atlanta-metro neighborhoods.
Don't see your question? Call us — we love nerding out on doors.
Call now for same-day cable replacement across the Atlanta metro — both cables replaced as a pair, lake-area marine-grade upgrade included for waterfront homes, quoted in writing, lifetime workmanship.
