Garage Door Springs

There are a wide range of standard sectional and one-piece tilt-up garage doors that use extension springs. In reality, extension springs are used for the majority of residential garage doors. The springs are anchored at the back of the upper tracks and hang from the top of the door. If you're good with your hands, or just looking for a challenging weekend project, you'll be able to repair your extension springs on your own.

If you have a heavier door, you're more than likely using torsion springs. These springs were constructed to lift heavy-duty doors and are incredibly powerful. If you have never worked with torsion springs before, they can be extremely dangerous. I've read news stories involving people who sustained serious head injuries while trying to fix their torsion springs on their own. Remember, if you've never fixed your torsion springs on your before or you're not incredibly talented when it comes to home repair, you'll want to call in a professional repair person.

On the other hand, doors that weigh more (like sectional doors) use torsion springs. On each door, a torsion spring is used on both sides. Garage doors involving the use of a torsion spring always need professional help for installation or repair, because they have been known to cause severe injuries, and certain deaths as well.

Handling a garage door that uses torsion springs is a serious matter. Such a garage door weighs a massive 300-400 pounds, and surely, springs that handle such weight are capable of extreme compression and extension. It is to be noted that such instruments have had a history of imparting serious head injury.

If you use your garage door on a daily basis, your springs will get worn down simply due to wear-and-tear. It's important to check your garage every 6 months or so to make sure everything is running smoothly. You also want to make sure to check out the 5 points on this quick and easy garage door repair checklist twice a year. If you find only one of your springs stops working, the other one will also become damaged quickly because of having to compensate for the malfunctioning spring. That's why professional contractors advise that you replace both springs when you're experiencing problems with one of them.

If you want to call in a professional to repair your springs, it'll cost you anywhere between $75-$350 depending on your garage model. You'll find that most professional repair people fall somewhere in the middle of the price range. If you take your time to shop around, you'll someone that will give you the best deal and service possible.

The quality of your springs determines just how long they will last, as well as how often you use it, how often you perform maintenance, as well as whether the garage spring fits the height, size and weight of the door.

As you can see, garage door springs are vital tools that enable your garage to operate smoothly. These are incredibly powerful mechanisms that must be able to lift garage doors that weigh 300 plus pounds, and can be dangerous if they are damaged. It's important that you conduct periodic maintenance checks to make sure that everything is running correctly. Remember, it's ok for you to repair your extension springs on your own, but call in a professional to repair your torsion springs.