Garage Door Extension and Torsion Springs

Garage doors are heavier than most people realize.  The reason they seem light and easy to open is because they use springs to balance the weight and make the door easily opened by hand.  Without the springs, the garage door would be difficult to open and would come crashing down when you tried to close it.

Even if you have an automatic garage door opener, keeping your garage door springs in adjustment and repairing or replacing damaged or broken springs is important.  Garage door openers are built to work on a properly balanced garage door.  A door that is out of adjustment or that has a broken spring puts a lot of strain on the opener and will cause it to wear out and fail quickly.

The two most common types of springs are torsion springs and extension springs.  Extension springs are mounted along the horizontal tracks and are attached to the garage door through a system of cables and pulleys.  As the door is closed, the spring stretches and takes up some of the load. 

Torsion springs are mounted above the top of the door and run parallel to the closed door.  Instead of extending, the torsion springs coil or wind up as the door closes and uncoil or unwind as it opens. 

If you have a broken torsion spring or extension spring, or if your springs need to adjusted, call a garage door contractor with experience in garage door repairs.  Garage door springs are under a lot of tension and can be very dangerous.  Many people have been maimed or killed by garage door springs so let the professionals handle garage door spring replacements or repairs.