Garage Door Springs

Springs are the most important part of your garage door. These springs do the hard work of raising and lowering the door. In case your garage door starts giving trouble, the first place to look after checking the remote and wall unit is the springs. Most probably there is an issue with them.

All You Need to Know About Garage Door Springs

When you use your opener to lift or close the garage door, it puts a lot of strain on the springs. Over a period of time, the springs may break. The good news is you can replace the springs and the door will be as good as new. However, it is best not to attempt changing the springs yourself. It can be risky and the risks are not worth it.

Two Garage Door Opening and Closing Mechanisms

Garage doors utilize a counterbalance system that helps to compensate for the weight of the door. There are two systems to open and close garage doors and both make use of springs. 

System One

The most common system to open and close garage doors is the torsion spring system. Torsion coil springs are mounted just above the door opening. The springs are attached to cables, which cause them to wind when the door closes. On the other hand, when it opens, these overhead door springs unwind, providing the energy to lift up the door. With constant use, they become weak and eventually break.

System Two

The other type of springs that a garage door uses to open and shut the door is extension springs. Here, the springs are connected to the cables, which run on either side of the metal tracks and are fixed to the bottom corners of the door. In this system, the springs do not wind. Instead, they are stretched when the garage door is closed. When you open the door, the stretched springs coil up, helping to lift up the door. These springs too get weak with constant use and finally break, necessitating a replacement.