Updated: December 21, 2023
Posted: March 10, 2017
What to do about a broken garage door spring?
Springs are an important garage door part. They are an integral part of the mechanism which allows your garage door to be moved easily and smoothly. It is, therefore, an area where problems can’t be ignored and need to be rectified as soon as possible.
Due to their importance, this article is dedicated to identifying and dealing with problems which can arise with your garage door springs.
About garage door springs
It is easy not to give a second thought to how your garage door functions. However, a bit of knowledge can be incredibly useful for when things fail to run smoothly. The springs in the mechanism for your garage door are what support the door’s vast weight and allow you to open it with relative ease.
Without the springs, a garage door would be immensely more difficult to open and more dangerous to close. Springs aid operation by utilising variations in tension when opening and closing the door.
Unfortunately, due to the frequent use and state of tension springs are subjected to, a breakage here is quite common. As with any oft-used object, wear and tear is inevitable over time. If a breakage does occur, this will notably affect the functioning of your door. Any garage problems will be frustrating and your first instinct will likely be ‘how can I fix this?’.
However, spring repairs require a good deal of technical expertise and without this, you run the serious risk of injuring yourself when attempting a fix.
Identifying the springs and breakage
To be sure that the issue with your garage doors has its root in the springs, you will first need to locate them. There are 2 different spring types used in garage doors and each type is located in a different place.
Torsion springs are located above the garage door and extension springs are located at the sides of the door. Generally, extension springs are found on older garage systems whereas torsion springs are favoured more nowadays and found on most newer systems.
You may find that your door issues are spring-related but aren’t a result of a spring break. For example, the cause of an overly loud garage door could be connected to the springs but could be resolved by simply applying lubricant to the springs.
Dealing with the break
If you’ve identified that you have broken springs, know that it is possible to use the door but it will be difficult to operate. This is relevant if, for example, your car is in the garage and you need to drive to get to work.
If it is necessary to open your door whilst springs are broken, get someone else to help you to minimise the risk of injury. You should contact a garage door specialist, such as those at JB Doors, to come and assess the mechanism as soon as possible and then either repair or replace your door.
If your garage door system is old then it is worthwhile replacing the unit as this will prevent you having to continually deal with, and pay for, repairs to an already failing system. Newer doors also have a whole host of additional benefits, such as improved security, safety, convenience and longevity.
It is very important that you leave the repair to a professional unless you have experience in garage door repairs, knowledge of how to repair the specific system and the necessary specialist equipment to hand. Without all of this, you could cause yourself a serious injury as well as damaging the door mechanism further.
JB Doors are garage door specialists, working throughout Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Our team are fully trained, highly experienced and offer a great service for any client on any job. We offer a range of quality new doors and repairs at competitive prices. Get in touch with us today to organise your free survey or for further enquiries.
