Garage door springs are an essential element to make automatic garage doors open and close. The springs are used to counterbalance the weight of the heavy garage door to make it easy for the motor to open and close the door easily. The springs are equally balanced by the weight of the door. For instance, a door that weighs 150 pounds will require a spring force of 150 pounds to pull against the door. Balancing garage door springs can be very dangerous because of the tension applied on the spring when it is stretched. It is always, ALWAYS best to call a garage door specialist when any part of your garage door needs to be repaired because most repairs involve replacing or adjusting the garage door springs. Many accidents, injuries, and deaths have occurred from do-it-yourself home repairs.
Torsion springs are used to balance a garage door by applying torque to the shaft with drums at each end. A cable is attached to each drum and extends to the bottom fixture at the bottom of the door where it is secured. In order to have a balanced system, the torsion spring must unwind and wind as the garage door opens and closes. Extension springs are typically mounted along the sides of the garage door or above the horizontal tracks. These springs stretch and contract as the door opens and closes to counterbalance the weight of the door. Whenever there is damage to a spring or cable, there is a high possibility that a cable could snap or that the door could fall. Because of this risk, only a trained and licensed professional should handle any type of garage door spring repairs.
A garage door spring replacement is often essential whenever a garage door is not functioning properly. However, it is important to know that this repair is a highly dangerous one and should be left to the professionals. Call your local garage door repair company for any assistance that your garage door needs.
Posted on behalf of Legacy Garage Doors
