Garage Door Problem Guide
Garage Door Is Uneven on One Side
A door that sits lower on one side or rises crooked is often a cable or spring problem — and it can get worse quickly if you keep using it.
Quick answer
If your garage door is uneven on one side, the most common causes are a loose, stretched or broken cable, a broken spring on a two-spring door, or a cable that has slipped on its drum. A sloped floor or worn seal can create a gap that looks similar. If the door rises crooked, stop using it.
Safety first: An uneven door can bind, come off the track or drop. Stop using the opener and don’t try to adjust cables or springs yourself.
Two different problems that look similar
The door is level, but there’s a gap on one side
The floor may slope, the bottom seal may be worn on that side, or the door may need a level adjustment. See gap at the bottom.
The door itself is crooked
One side lifts first or the door sits tilted in the opening. This points to cables or springs and needs attention.
Likely causes of a crooked door
- One cable is slack, stretched or off its drum.
- A spring has broken on a two-spring system.
- A drum’s set screws have slipped on the shaft.
- A bottom bracket is corroded or damaged.
- Track misalignment or a bent section.
Safe checks you can do
- Close the door and look at the bottom edge — is the door itself tilted, or is the floor uneven?
- From a safe distance, compare the two cables. Is one slack?
- Look at the torsion springs for a gap.
- Check the rollers on each side are in the track.
What not to do
- Don’t keep running the door.
- Don’t try to tighten a cable or adjust a drum.
- Don’t shim the door with blocks to make it look level.
Not comfortable checking this yourself?
Call and a technician can diagnose the door safely and explain the repair options.
Signs it needs a technician
- One side lifts first or the door tilts as it moves.
- A cable is slack or a spring is broken.
- Rollers are coming out of the track.
Related: cable repair, balance adjustment, spring replacement.
Repair Services for This Problem
When a basic check doesn’t solve it, these are the services that usually do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my garage door lower on one side?
Usually a cable issue — slack, stretched or slipped on the drum — or a broken spring on one side. An uneven floor can create a similar-looking gap.
Can I use the door if it’s uneven?
Not if it lifts crooked. It can bind, come off track or drop.
Is it the floor or the door?
Look at the door’s bottom edge relative to the panel lines. If the door is level but the floor slopes, it’s the floor or seal.
Can cable drums slip?
Yes. If the set screws loosen, the drum can turn on the shaft and change cable tension on that side.
Will a new bottom seal fix a crooked door?
Only if the door is level and the gap comes from a worn seal or floor slope. It won’t fix cable or spring problems.
How is an uneven door repaired?
A technician identifies the cause, releases tension safely, corrects the cable or spring, and balances the door.
Still Having Trouble
With Your Garage Door?
Call to describe what the door is doing. We serve Augusta, Evans, Martinez, Grovetown, Hephzibah, North Augusta and Aiken.