Garage door repairs can be quite dangerous, and one of the most notorious culprits are your springs. Broken garage door springs are common garage door repair service industry. The springs are what allows the door to open, close and remain stationary. They are carrying all the weight of the door and also help to dictate the speed at which the door operates. The coils of springs are constantly winding in an out which will eventually result in a garage door broken spring; hence, why you are probably searching “garage door repair near me.” It’s important to reiterate the fact that your garage door springs functions as a counterweight for the total weight of the door. A properly balanced garage door should weigh between 8 and 10 lbs, even with an electric garage door operator. The door opener is only meant to take the place of any manual effort while the springs are carrying the dead weight.
However, don’t forget that if on one hand a door opener is able to lift such a weight, it is more than able, on the other hand, to push down with the same force. So make sure you don’t end up in its path when it’s descending.
Firstly, most homeowners ask us: What causes a lifting spring to break? Here are just some of the causes of a garage door broken spring:
General Wear & Tear
Whether torsion or extension, a spring’s lifespan is between 5 and 7 years. An overwhelming number of garage door manufacturers provide 10,000‑cycle spring systems. A cycle is defined as one opening and closing of the door. If your garage door is used two to four times a day, this represents around 1500 cycles a year. If you use your garage door more than 5 times a day, be aware that 20 to 25,000-cycle springs are available from some manufacturers.
Improper Spring Calibration
Every now and then, the right spring system isn’t installed. While the door will still open and close, more stress can be placed on the spring, door and opener.
Environmental Conditions
Garages are basically cold and humid, as many aren’t insulated or heated. Even with some heating and insulation, springs are often near the exterior walls and remain cold and damp. Despite the protection of galvanization, amounting to 30 to 40% of the spring’s composition, rust will attack the metal. In intense cold, under -15F (-26F), the coiled metal wire can dry out and break. Ask us how you can insulate your garage with a garage door replacement.
Little or no maintenance from the homeowner
Garage doors and their lifting systems require some upkeep. Next Day Garage Door recommends twice-yearly lubrication of metal parts that come into contact with other ones, once in the fall or winter and once at the beginning of the summer.
If you start to see signs of wear and tear or even a complete break between sections of a spring, it’s time to change your springs. Continuing to operate your garage door as usual if your springs are showing signs of wear, or if only one of them is broken, this puts a good amount of extra stress on your garage door opener, and will cause your motor to wear out quicker, resulting in a much more expensive repair. Garage door broken spring is a common, but the first step is knowing what kind of springs you have. While there are a handful of garage door spring types, the vast majority of residential garage doors use either torsion springs or extension springs.
The quick and easy way of figuring out what kind of garage door spring you have is simply by seeing where the springs are located. Torsion springs are commonly used for newer garage door installations, and sit horizontally above the middle of your garage door. To find out if you have torsion springs, close your garage door and have a look above the center of the door. If you see a pair of springs running sideways, you have torsion springs. In contrast, extension springs can be found running parallel to the garage door tracks on either side of your garage door. You can easily spot them when you close your garage door – they should be suspended a few inches above the garage door tracks, running nearly the length of the track.
We always recommend converting an extension spring system to the newer and safer torsion spring system. Torsion springs are easier to adjust and make balancing the door much easier. Torsion springs are also a much safer system as the spring is mounted on the spring bar/torsion tube and if the spring breaks, it will stay attached to the spring bar/torsion tube. Torsion springs in my opinion provide a better lifting system than extension springs and provide a safer environment in our homes.
Please note that these springs are extremely heavy and powerful. Both extension and torsion springs can cause serious damage if they are installed improperly or if their overused. In the event that you may see a sign of wear and tear or if you hear your spring snap, pull the red lever connected to your garage door opener and use your garage door manually. Never attempt to fix or tension a spring without proper training. Next Day Garage Door is available to advise you and explain the best choice to make based on your exact needs while respecting your budget.
Next Day Garage Door offers a “Garage Door Tune-Up” program to help homeowners properly maintain their garage doors. Although they need minimal maintenance, we always recommend that your springs are lubricated at least twice a year. This will surely increase the longevity. Next Day Garage Door Services offers Garage Door Repair services and Garage Door Replacement services. Although Next Day Garage Door is a company specializing in garage door repair Alexandria VA, we are also servicing garage door repair Maryland. Please feel free to contact us at 301-500-0475 or at 571-327-6285. We have expert technicians available 24/7 for any garage door repair.