Start here
What usually goes wrong with a rolling steel door
Short answer
Rolling steel doors usually fail when the curtain leaves its side guides, slats bend from an impact, the counterbalance spring in the barrel loses tension, or the hoist or operator wears out. Most repairs are done on site, and a door that cannot close is secured the same visit while parts are ordered.
Warning signs
Signs a rolling door needs repair
The curtain catches or rubs in the guide
A bent guide or slat edge, or a curtain running out of line.
Dented or creased slats
Impacts from forklifts or vehicles; bent slats bind in the guides.
The door is heavy to raise by hand chain
The counterbalance spring in the barrel has lost tension.
The operator strains or trips
A door out of balance, or a worn operator or brake.
Loud banging as it coils
Loose endlocks, a damaged bottom bar or worn barrel bearings.
The job
How a rolling door works
A rolling steel door is a curtain of interlocking steel slats that coils around a barrel above the opening. A torsion spring inside the barrel counterbalances the curtain's weight, and the curtain rides in guides on each side. The door is raised by a hand chain hoist, a crank or an operator.
Most failures start with an impact or wear at the edges. A slat bent by a forklift binds in the guide; a guide knocked out of plumb pulls the curtain sideways; endlocks wear and the slats shift. Left alone, these turn into a curtain that jams or a spring that fails, so we repair the cause, not just the jam.
Curtain off the guides
When the curtain comes off the guides
A curtain that leaves its guides is usually the result of an impact, a bent guide or worn endlocks. We secure the curtain, straighten or replace the guide, reset the slats in the track and check the endlocks that keep them aligned. The door is cycled by hand before the operator is used again.
Bent slats
Replacing bent slats
Individual slats can be slid out and replaced when they are bent, so a single impact does not mean a new curtain. We match the slat profile and gauge, replace the damaged slats and endlocks, and check the bottom bar and its weather seal while the curtain is down.
Chain hoist and operator
Chain hoists, cranks and operators
Manual rolling doors use a chain hoist or crank; motorized ones use an operator with limits and a brake. Hoist chains stretch, gears wear and operators lose their limits or brakes. We repair or replace the drive and make sure the door can still be operated by hand if power fails. Operator controls are covered in more depth on our commercial operator repair page.
A rolling door stuck open is a security problem. We answer around the clock.
Call (331) 704-8271How the visit runs
How a rolling door repair runs
- 1
Secure the door
Lock it in place and lock out the operator.
- 2
Find the cause
Impact, guide, slats, spring or drive.
- 3
Repair the curtain
Guides straightened, slats and endlocks replaced.
- 4
Balance and drive
Spring tension checked, hoist or operator repaired.
- 5
Cycle and test
Full cycles by hand and by operator.
Around Naperville
Rolling doors in Naperville-area buildings
The City of Naperville builds to the 2018 International Building Code, and rolling steel doors here protect everything from storage units and shops to the distribution buildings along the I-55 corridor in Bolingbrook and Romeoville. Those docks cycle doors all day, so a slat bent on a busy morning is common. We repair the damaged slats and guides rather than the whole curtain wherever the door allows it.
Cost
What moves the price of a rolling door repair
Rolling door repairs vary by size, damage and drive. We inspect the door, secure it if needed and price the repair before ordering parts.
- Guide or slat damage
- Counterbalance spring tension or replacement
- Hoist, crank or operator repair
- Door size and slat gauge
- After-hours or weekend service
We repair LiftMaster, Marantec and other commercial operators on doors from Raynor, Overhead Door, Haas Door and Windsor Door, among other makers.
- LiftMaster
- Chamberlain
- Genie
- Clopay
- Amarr
- Wayne Dalton
- C.H.I.
- Raynor
- Haas Door
- Overhead Door
- Windsor Door
- Marantec
Answers
Questions about rolling steel door repair
Usually. Slats, guides, endlocks, springs and drives are all replaceable parts.
The counterbalance spring inside the barrel has lost tension. It can be re-tensioned or replaced.
Yes. If the curtain cannot be repaired right away, we secure the opening so the building is not left exposed.
Yes, along with shop, warehouse and storefront rolling doors.
Often. We check the door's size and balance and recommend an operator suited to it.
Same group
Related door work we handle
Commercial Garage Door Repair
Dock and overhead doors put back in service for warehouses and shops.
Commercial Overhead Door Installation
New sectional doors for docks, shops, service bays and storefronts.
Dock Leveler & Seal Repair
Levelers, bumpers, seals and shelters serviced alongside the dock door.
Commercial Door Operator Repair
Trolley and jackshaft operators, controls and safety edges repaired.