Your garage door is probably the hardest working door in your home. It opens and closes each morning for your commute and then throughout the day for odd jobs like taking out the trash, grabbing the mail or getting out a bicycle. But every time your door opens and closes, the springs feel the wear and tear until one day, they break.

Your Garage Door Springs

There are two main types of garage door springs, torsion and extension. Torsion springs are most common and use tightly-wound coils of metal to generate the torque needed to lift or lower the door. Extension springs, by contrast, are attached to the tracks that run along the ceiling on each side of the door; they expand and contract to lift and lower the door. It can be extremely dangerous for anyone near the door if either of these types of springs breaks.

When do you know your springs need to be replaced?

1. You have trouble manually opening the door. When you disengage your automatic opener, you should be able to raise your garage door with minimal effort. Once you open it all the way, it should stay up on its own. If it doesn’t, your springs are likely wearing out.
2. The door won’t stay up on its own. Double the above check by opening the door halfway to see if it stays up on its own. If it feels heavy, your spring(s) may be close to breaking.
3. It’s been more than seven years since the spring was replaced. If you’ve lived in your home for a decade and have never replaced your spring, you’re probably living on borrowed time. Torsion springs last anywhere from four to nine years and extension springs around seven to 12, depending on use.
4. Your garage doesn’t look aligned. This check is specifically for extension springs since they lift from each side. If one side raises faster, the other is probably wearing out.
5. Your springs look damaged or worn out. A monthly check of your springs (and all your equipment) is really the best way to stay on top of repairs. If your springs have gaps, look worn out or look like they are losing tension, they are most likely damaged and will need to be replaced.

Call Your Sioux City and Yankton Garage Door Company

Replacing garage door springs is not a DIY project for the weekend handyman. Your garage doors are under an incredible amount of tension and can seriously harm someone who doesn’t know what they are doing. Trust Overhead Door of Sioux City and Overhead Door of Yankton to safely replace your garage door springs. We’ve been doing this for more than 50 years. We are professionals who know exactly what needs to be done. Not sure if your springs are on their way out? Contact us and we’ll come out and take a look.