Garage door springs can be complicated to understand. There are some things that you might read on the Internet that are true and some that are not. However, our garage door repair technicians at Roswell Garage Door Repair are far too familiar with the problems that garage door springs can cause to people. We repair and replace them practically every day. Since your springs go through a lot of use, it is only reasonable to conclude that they will eventually end up needing some attention eventually. When they do, they usually begin to show signs of this in the way they perform or in most cases, in the way they don’t perform.
What Your Springs Do
Your garage door springs lift and lower your heavy garage door. If the garage door is a commercial door, they have even heavier weight to lift. This lets you know just how sturdy the springs actually are. Your garage door opener operates the door but it is your springs that do the heavy lifting. Without sturdy springs to lift the door, the garage door opener wouldn’t be of much use to you. There are two types of springs that we service, extension springs and torsion springs.
We mount the torsion springs horizontally about the top of your door but the extension springs are mounted on each side of your garage door. These hand parallel the horizontal tracks. They both have a life cycle and once the life cycle has been reached, it will be time to either replace the springs or repair them. They will begin to wear out until they are repaired or replaced.
The torsion springs typically have a lifespan of 10,000 cycles and are made of tempered and hardened steel. They don’t typically wear out sooner than the 10,000 cycles since they are built to last. However, keep in mind that they go through a lot during their life cycle. Some doors are used more often than others, therefore, the life cycle of one persons springs will differ from someone else’s. They hold a lot of stored energy and need to be repaired to prevent them from breaking and falling down on top of anything or anyone. A household with two vehicles who make daily trips, the average torsion spring should last for up to 7 years. It’s advisable to replace the springs at the same time because they usually wear out at the same time.
Extension springs are usually found in older buildings or homes. They will generally last just as long as torsion springs. However, there are various factors to consider when it comes to how long they will actually last, such as weight of the door, humidity, and the amount of maintenance begin performed on the door.
DIY Or Not DIY
Do-It-Yourself projects are good but some things are simply better left to the experts. When you’re talking about the installation, repairing or replacing of garage door springs, this is something that should only be handled by qualified and professionals. These types of springs are extremely dangerous due to the amount of pressure they are wound up with. If one were to break while you were working on it, it could cause you grave injury. In some worst case scenario’s, human life has been lost due to an improperly handled spring. We do not wish this for anyone and that is why we urge you to rely on the expert services of a qualified garage door repair technician to evaluate your garage door springs. Aside from harming yourself, if the spring were to break, it could fly through a window and harm someone else. If you do not want to be the cause of injury to anyone, including yourself, leave the job in the hands of the experts. Handling it on your own simply is not worth the effort.
Determining If Your Springs Are Damaged
Here are some ways to determine if there is a problem with your garage door springs:
- Your door falls down quickly with a loud sound
- Your door rises up about 6 to 8 inches but then suddenly stops.
- It begins to start slowly and then eventually begins to speed up and starts going up quickly
- You notice a loud bang when lifting the garage door
This can occur when they aren’t even being used and this is why some people dismiss the sound, assuming it was nothing until the next day when they realize they are not able to open their garage door
- It goes up and down at a slight angle
A broken extension spring will cause the other spring to work harder to compensate, which is why it looks crooked
- The door jerks as it goes up
This is an indicator that a spring is broken and the other one is carrying the weight of the broken spring
- While lower your garage door, it suddenly falls down very quickly
In this case the garage door opener is bearing the weight of the unbalanced springs
- If you see a gap in your torsion springs it means a spring has broken and the metal has recoiled, leaving a gap
- The top part of your garage door is bent
This can be caused by the garage door opener trying to lift the weight of the door without the help of the springs
- It is hard for you to lift the garage door when it is manual mode
If you notice any of these things occurring, discontinue use of your garage until you have sought professional help. You would be wise to pay close attention to how your garage door is functioning whenever you use it. Not paying attention could be dangerous to you and whoever uses your garage. We know this is not something that most people do until it is too late that is why we always suggest regular, routine garage door maintenance. With garage door maintenance, a weak and worn spring can be determined before in incident occurs.
Your best bet
You are not really betting but you are encouraged to call a licensed, bonded and insured garage door repair shop that specializes in spring service. You can call our Roswell Garage Door Repair shop or another local firm that you like and trust. Most offer free price quotes, same day service and round the clock emergency help in case you need it. Working with the right garage door repair shop can be an affordable and time saving experience. Think about it; your time is valuable and so is your safety. Why not enjoy warranty protection, numerous safety and performance checks and superior quality springs and service by calling the professionals that handle garage door springs on a daily basis?
Article source here: Garage Door Spring Issues You Can Identify
