How Do You Know You Need Garage Door Spring Repair?
When your garage door won’t open or your garage door comes up at an angle, you likely need garage door spring repair. The most common signs you have a broken garage door spring include:
1. Your garage door won’t open.
2. Your garage door opens halfway and stops.
3. You notice fallen or loose garage door cables.
4. Your garage door is heavy when you try to manually open it.
5. Your garage door slams down suddenly when it tries to open.
6. Your garage door goes up crooked or at an angle.
7. There is a 3 – 4″ gap between the garage door spring’s coils.
8. Your garage door spring is elongated.
OUR GARAGE DOOR SPRING REPLACEMENT SERVICES
Torsion Spring Replacement
Torsion springs are becoming a more modern choice for new door installations. They tend to last longer and hold more weight than standard extension springs. This spring type will be located above your garage door towards the middle, running horizontally. For seven to eight-foot doors, you will only have one spring. For larger, two-car-wide doors, you will most likely have two springs. However, this number can also depend on the weight and material of your garage door.
Extension Spring Replacement
If you have extension springs, they will be located to the left and right of your garage door, running vertically. These run along pulleys, extending down and back in order to operate your garage door. For this type of garage door spring, you will always have two installed in your garage system. Extension springs work together as independent parts in order to create the counterbalance system with your cables and opener.
Wayne Dalton Torque Master
Wayne Dalton springs are not visible because they are contained inside a torsion tube. They are a specialized type of spring specific to the Wayne Dalton garage door line. We usually suggest getting a Wayne Dalton conversion if you have this system. When this type of spring breaks, you can usually see your garage door cables hanging loose. Additionally, you can try to lift the garage door manually. If it is heavy, then your spring is most likely broken.
WHAT CAUSES GARAGE DOOR SPRINGS TO BREAK?
- Wear and Tear
- By far the biggest reason for garage door spring failure is simple wear and tear. Most springs are engineered and rated for about 10,000 cycles – one cycle being the garage door going up and coming back down to close. That may seem like a lot but consider that you go through a minimum of two cycles a day just getting the car out of and back into the garage. If you go on any errands, a spouse goes to work through the same garage, or kids open and close the door for any reason, those daily cycles can add up a lot faster than you may think. If you garage door has become your “front door” and receives excessive use, it might be smart to consider getting extended lifespan torsion springs, which are rated for 20,000 or more cycles.
- Rust
- In Northeastern North Carolina and especially the OBX, rust is a nuisance to any garage door spring. If any rust develops on the spring for any reason, its lifespan will be dramatically shortened. Rust increases the amount of friction on the coils while it moves back and forth. In Addition, the corrosion on the spring itself will weaken the coils and lead to failure more quickly. Spraying down the spring with a silicone-based lubricant three or four times a year can greatly assist in keeping it well lubricated and extend its life expectancy.
- Improper Maintenance
- All garage door springs will fail eventually, but proper maintenance can not only prolong the lifespan of the springs, but alert you when they are getting close to failure. The can help prevent potentially destructive explosive breaking of the spring as well as the headache involved with fixing it as quickly as possible. In addition to lubricating the spring with white lithium grease a few times a year, check the garage door balance at least once a season, especially in the winter when most springs fail. To check balance:
- Pull the emergency release cord (it has a red handle) to place the door in manual mode.
- Lift the door up halfway and let go of it. Springs in good working order should keep it completely still; if the door sags and falls a bit, the springs are starting to show signs of wear and may need adjustment or replacement.
ABOUT MID ATLANTIC GARAGE DOORS
We specialize in residential and commercial installation, service, and repairs serving customers throughout great North Carolina and Southern Eastern Virginia.
Mid Atlantic Garage Doors serves customers throughout the Mid-Atlantic region including Chesapeake, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, and Suffolk VA. We also service customers in Currituck, Moyock, Knotts Island, Corolla, Duck, Outer Banks, Manteo, Camden, Elizabeth City, Hertford, Gates, Chowan, and Edenton NC.
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