IDENTIFYING GARAGE DOOR SPRING ISSUES

Are you having garage door spring problems? Many don’t know if they are or if the issue is something else. How can you tell? What can you do about it if you are? Can you fix these issues yourself? Are you or your loved ones in danger? It seems that there are so many questions about this. Is there a reliable and trustworthy source of dependable information about this? If you suspect that your garage door springs are “acting up” read this page carefully and you’ll know better what to do and how you should go about it.

What springs do for your garage door

Ask anyone on the street what opens their garage door and they will usually tell you about their opener or remote. This is to be expected as they simply push a button and the garage door opens or closes. In reality though, the power behind the remote is actually your set of springs. These powerful metal coils truly are the heavy lifters that make your several hundred pound garage door go up or down. Springs made for garage doors come in two categories; torsion and extension.

Torsion Springs

These garage door springs are the ones most commonly installed in new home construction. They last longer and contain fewer parts than their counterparts (extension springs). Fewer parts mean fewer pieces to break down, and this accounts for much of why they last longer. The usual life cycle for a set of torsion springs is around 20,000 cycles. A cycle is counted as one opening and one closing. Torsion springs are located at the top of your garage door on the inside. They don’t expand like the extension springs do; instead, they turn.

Extension Springs

These are the older versions of garage door springs. They contain more parts, don’t last as long as the torsion variety, and they can be quite dangerous. They DO cost less and that explains their continued popularity. Extension springs are located on either side of your garage door and they extend or expand when they commence the garage door opening process. These springs are also highly dangerous and should NOT be installed, replaced or repaired by amateurs. The life cycle for extension springs is roughly half of their torsion counterparts (about 10,000 cycles).

DIY Spring Repair

Do it yourself spring repair is NOT recommended by our College Park GA technicians. This is for a reason. One, the work must be done to exacting standards or you can ruin your springs, and even void your warranty. This type of work involves training, tools and skills that you most likely have not acquired. Two; spring service can be dangerous. Every year people are injured or killed by a garage door spring that flew off with terrific force and hit them or caused something to fall on them. We know that many folks love doing their own repairs and working with their hands. When it comes to spring repair or installation, the risk is just not worth it. Call a pro and let him or her do the job right and safely.

Signs that your springs are not in good shape

“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire!” This adage holds true when it comes to garage door springs. There are certain signs that indicate that one or both of your springs need repair, service or new installation.

Does your garage door look lopsided when either open or closed? You may notice a tilt or leaning to one side in particular. This is a sure-fire sign that one of your extension springs has snapped.

Did your garage door start to rise, but the ascent was very slow? Then, did it suddenly continue on upward, rapidly?

Did your garage door start to rise and then suddenly stop halfway up?

Did you try to open or close your garage door when you suddenly hear a loud bang or snap sound? Many times this happens when you are still inside and are trying to operate the garage door using the remote. You rush into the garage expecting to see some kind of damage, but can find nothing!

When raising or lowering your garage door, does it appear that one side moves faster than the other?

Is your car trapped within your garage because the door won’t lift? You tapped the wall button and also the remote but still no movement?

You tap the wall button or the remote and your garage door starts to rise. Does one side appear to do all the lifting? Does it look like the other side is simply going along for the ride?

There are by no means all of the symptoms of garage door spring issues but they are the main ones. It’s hard to confuse your garage door issues with other things like opener problems or safety sensor issues when your garage door exhibits behavior like any of these.