Garage Door Spring Replacement

Typical garage doors can weigh up to 300 pounds or more, depending upon the size as well as the material used in the door.  All garage doors use springs to support the weight of the door and the springs are tightened and loosened as the garage door undergoes tens of thousands of opening and closing cycles.  Basically the springs exert a force equal to the weight of a garage door, making the door effectively weighing nothing when the door is opened.  Although very durable, eventually these springs will wear out and break from use.   When this happens, it is still possible to open the door, however you will be lifting the full weight of the door. 

Garage doors use either torsion springs or extension springs to support the weight of the door.  Although they do the same thing the springs are located in different places, with torsion springs being located at the top of the garage door, while extension springs are located on the sides of the door.  

Replacement of either type of spring should be done by a licensed and insured garage door contractor for a number of reasons.  The main reason is because of safety.  Garage door springs are under a great deal of tension during and after the installation process.  The correct installation is required in order to avoid serious injury or even death.  In addition, often there are specialized tools required to add tension to the spring once installed.  A qualified and highly trained technician will be able to install these springs quickly economically and most importantly safely!

Posted on behalf of Legacy Garage Doors

Garage Door Spring Repair

If your garage door won’t open or if you suddenly hear a loud noise coming from your garage, chances are one of your garage door springs has broken. This is the most common type of garage door repair.  It is also a repair best left to a professional garage door repairman. 

Garage door springs are what makes the door go up and down. They fall into two major categories: 

Extension Springs – In this style of garage door, the springs run parallel to the tracks. When the door is closed, the springs extend, and when it is open, the springs contract.  Used in many older models of garage doors, extension springs tend to work independently from one another, which causes the garage door and its various parts to wear unevenly over time.  

Torsion Springs – Typically found in newer model garage doors, torsion springs are located above the door. They tend to work as a pair and, wear evenly and operate very  smoothly.   

Regardless of the type of spring your particular garage door has, when it breaks, it really is best to leave garage door spring repairs or replacement up to a professional, no matter how experienced of a do-it-yourselfer you are.  All springs require tension to work properly, and garage doors need a great amount of tension in order for you to be able to lift them up and down. The slightest slip up can be dangerous – with very painful results. 

The other point that should be made, too, is that springs have to be precisely measured, based on the weight of the door. Install the wrong spring, and you might be injured or cause the door to wear or break. It is indeed a delicate balance of engineering. 

Again, if you find yourself with broken garage door springs, do yourself a favor and call a professional garage door repair service.

Garage Door Springs Basic Information

Modern overhead garage doors rely on springs to help make opening and closing the door safe and easy.  Garage doors can weigh between 100 lbs and 400 lbs and would be difficult or impossible to open without the assistance of the garage door springs.  In addition, without the springs, a closing garage door could cause serious, potentially fatal injuries to anyone trapped under the door.

Garage door springs store energy as the door closes and releases that energy as the door is opened.  Extension springs and torsion springs are the two common types of garage door springs.  Extension springs are mounted along the horizontal garage door tracks and store energy by extending as the door is closed.  They contract again when the garage door is opened.  Torsion springs mount along the top of the door opening.  Torsion springs coil and uncoil as the garage door is opened and closed.

When the springs are properly adjusted, even the heaviest garage doors can be manually opened with ease.  To check if your garage door springs are properly adjusted, disengage the door from the automatic garage door opener and manually open the door halfway.  When you release the door, it should remain in the half-opened position.  If the door continues to open, the spring tension is too high.  If the door starts closing, then the spring tension is too low.

In either case, have the garage door springs adjusted by a qualified garage door technician.  Garage door springs are under tremendous tension and can easily cause a serious injury.  Your garage door technician will have the training and experience to safely adjust your garage door springs to the proper tension.