Roll Up and Rolling Steel Door Repair

Roll up door slat replacement

A dented or kinked slat rarely means a new door. A roll up door curtain is a row of interlocking steel slats, and the slats slide apart sideways once the curtain is opened at the joint above the damage, so we replace the damaged slats and keep the rest of the curtain.

• How many slats. Every slat kinked enough to catch in the coil or the guides comes out, along with the slats whose joints bent with it. A hit low on the door, from a forklift or a truck backing in, often takes the bottom bar with it.

• Matching the curtain. New slats only interlock with old ones of the same profile, gauge and width, so the slat is measured before parts are ordered. Flat, curved and insulated slats are all different parts.

• End locks. The end locks on the slat ends stop the slats from sliding sideways and keep the curtain in its guides. They go back on with the new slats, so the curtain runs straight.

• Bottom bar. The bottom bar is its own part, not a slat. A bent one is replaced so the door closes square and seals at the floor.

• Getting to the slats. The curtain comes down out of the guides, with the barrel spring tension made safe first. Leave this part to a technician: the springs hold enough tension to injure someone.

• A few slats or a new curtain. When damage runs across much of the curtain, or the slats have rusted through, a new curtain can be the better value. You hear which before any work starts.

Slats bent at a loading dock? See loading dock door repair.

Before the technician arrives

If the door is stuck partway, keep people and vehicles out from under it, and do not force the curtain or try to adjust the springs. A rolling door's springs hold a lot of tension inside the barrel. When you call, tell us the door's width, whether it runs on an operator or a chain hoist, and what happened just before it stopped, so the technician brings the right parts.

Roll up door repair questions

• Can you flatten a warped door? Sometimes. A slat that is dented but still interlocks can stay, while slats kinked enough to jam the coil or the guides should be replaced. Straightening a whole curtain rarely holds, so we replace the damaged slats and keep the rest.

• How to frame a roll up door? The guides mount to the jambs and the barrel brackets to the wall above the opening, so the jambs and header have to be solid steel, block or framing that carries the door's weight and wind load. We check the mounting on every repair and tell you if it is part of the problem.

• How much does it cost to repair sliding door rollers? A roll up door has no rollers to repair: a rollup door's curtain rides in guides, so wear shows up in the guides, the barrel bearings and the springs instead, and you get a flat price for that work after a free look. Door alignment in the guides is one of the first things we check on a door under constant use.

• When does a roll up door need professional repair? Any time the springs, the barrel or a door stuck partway are involved. The spring tension can injure someone, so leave those to a technician and call us instead.

How it works

Why facility managers call G Brothers