Why Have My Roller Garage Door Locking Straps Broken?

When there’s a fault with any component in your roller garage door, it’s tough to know exactly what went wrong, why it happened or what you should do to fix the issue. We often speak to our customers about the purpose of locking straps, in particular, and in this article, we’re looking at what this component does, how it functions, why it might break and what should be done in case of a breakage.

How do locking straps work?

Locking straps are an integral component of a roller garage door. They are constructed from high quality, hinged plastic rectangles. The straps secure the roller garage door curtain to the main barrel, and will lock the door into position when fully extended. They operate much like an elbow joint, only moving in one direction.

The number of locking straps installed depends on the size of the door, with up to 8 being used for the largest roller doors. They are designed to work with 55-77mm insulated slats, and will be contained within the top box.

The most unique feature of roller door locking straps is, surprisingly, the feature that causes most frustration to customers: they are designed to break under certain extreme circumstances, so as to protect the door — and anyone in the vicinity — from damage or harm. Let’s look at this feature more closely.

How do locking strap break?

Locking straps are designed to secure a garage door in place when it is closed. They will usually snap if the bottom stop limit is set incorrectly. When the stop limit is set too far down, the door will place extended force on the strap, and they will snap as a result. They will also snap if the door hits an obstruction, but the user is still holding the button to force the door shut.

This, however, is not a fault of the component: the fact that they snap is a way of protecting the door and safeguarding the user.

Why is it a feature that locking straps break?

The locking straps are only designed to snap when the door is put under extreme strain. By snapping, they relieve the pressure on the curtain, preventing further damage to the slats, the door itself and the person controlling the door opener. This dual purpose of locking straps means they are an important safety and security feature of roller garage doors; they have multiple locking points to deter and block intrusion, and will protect the door under these extreme circumstances.

How do I know if my locking straps are broken?

Sometimes, the locking straps might not fully snap, and instead may just crack. This will be less noticeable by the user, and the straps may then fully break months down the line. There are, however, a couple of signs that the locking straps have broken, including:

• You hear a loud, unfamiliar noise but the curtain doesn’t move
• You can open the garage door by lifting the curtain — because the straps are no longer holding the door in place

How do I replace my locking straps?

To replace a locking strap, you should refer to the relevant Rollerdor installation guide for your particular door model, found on this page. For RD55 doors, this should be a one-person job, but for larger RD77 models, at least two people are recommended.

What are the alternatives to ‘hold to run’ roller doors?

The chance of locking straps snapping — and needing to be replaced — is higher with hold to run roller doors, as the button may be pressed for too long, forcing the straps to break. A great alternative to this style of door is to install a retro fit safety edge kit which is an easy DIY installation. The safety edge will automatically detect obstructions and prevent the door from closing until the obstacle has been removed. They also operate with one push of a button, and will close, stop moving and lock when it reaches the ground. A hardwired Safety Edge comes as standard on our DIY range of doors, so this option may also be suitable for you.

If your locking straps have snapped, you can purchase replacements at a low cost directly from Rollerdor. Locking straps are affordable and easy to replace, just purchase directly from our website. Order yours now to bring your roller garage door back to full functionality again.