Four Reasons Garage Door Springs Break and Need Replacing

Typical garage doors can weigh hundreds of pounds and are critical not only in protecting your home and loved ones, but also in making a first impression on anyone who visits your residence. Today's garage doors are weather-resistant, constructed with heavy, high-tech materials, and are opened about three times daily per American home. This puts a lot of stress on mechanical components that do the heavy lifting day in and day out.

If you have maintenance concerns, contact a garage door springs Northglenn professional for help.

What Are Torsion Springs?

If you think torsion springs – springs that work by weaving their ends along an axis and store tremendous amounts of mechanical energy when twisted – are common only to modern garage doors, you’d be mistaken. These types of springs debuted in primitive bows and arrows more than 60,000 years ago and they have steadily evolved ever since. Today, they’re critical components in many items, such as clocks, clothespins, mousetraps, car doors and trunk lids, digital cameras and many other products.

How Much Do Garage Doors Weigh?

There’s no such thing as “average” garage door weight. Garage doors, available in single-, double-, triple-door or larger configurations depending on the use, can weigh hundreds of pounds. Like many architectural and other components in your home, the weight of a garage door is influenced by factors including construction materials, insulation, and the inclusion of handles, windows, or other features.

A residential steel garage door that is eight feet by seven feet could weigh between 80 and 115 pounds – a veritable lightweight. On the other end of the spectrum, a larger door of eighteen feet by eight feet could weigh about 225 pounds without insulation, or nearly 300 pounds when insulated and made with a double steel frame. This explains why you may need to call a professional garage door service Broomfield if you notice mechanical problems.

Four Reasons Why Garage Door Spring Break and Have to Be Replaced

There can be any number of reasons garage door springs break, all of which could result in damage or serious injury if your garage door falls, or springs fly off. We always recommend that homeowners call a garage door springs Broomfield professional at the first sign of mechanical trouble. Here are some of the top reasons garage door springs break and have to be replaced.

Wear and Tear

If the average U.S. garage door is opened three times a day for 365 days, that’s 1,095 open-close cycles per year. Thanks to modern engineering, most garage door springs are rated for about 10,000 cycles lifetime. This means that “average” wear and tear could result in spring failure in about nine years – or less, depending on how often your garage door is used. Wear and tear is the biggest enemy of garage door springs. If your home is like many others, where the garage door serves as the main point of entry and exit, you may want to ask a garage door springs Northglenn professional about upgrading to springs rated for 20,000 or more cycles.

Rust Buildup

The lifespan of garage door springs is seriously compromised by any instance of rust buildup. Rust can accumulate over time with the slightest exposure to moisture, increasing the volume of friction on the coils during back-and-forth motion. This can weaken the coils, speeding up the chance of mechanical failure. One thing we recommend is applying a silicone-based lubricant to the springs three or four times a year to keep them lubricated and maintain life expectancy.

Improper Maintenance

It’s perfectly reasonable for the average homeowner to be successful at minor repairs and home renovations, but working on a steel garage door weighing hundreds of pounds is a whole new ball game. Without experience, knowledge, tools, and safety equipment, properly maintaining your garage door springs could be a dangerous experiment. Improper maintenance is a top reason for spring failure and having them replaced. With regular maintenance offered by a garage door springs Northglenn professional, you'll be aware of when springs are close to failure and when a replacement might be necessary.

Your Garage Door’s Off Balance

Imagine driving your car down a crowded freeway when its wheels are out of alignment. You’ll have trouble steering, stopping, and could be in danger of an accident. Your garage door could face a similar fate if the springs are stressed or broken by a heavy steel door that is off balance. How do you check the door's balance?

1. Grab and then pull the emergency release cord (it may have a multicolored handle and normally dangles from the garage door opened) to put the door into manual-use mode.
2. Now, raise the door up halfway and release it. If the springs are in good working order, the door will remain completely still; if you see the door sag and fall a little, the springs are beginning to show signs of wear and could need replacement or adjustment by a professional garage door service Broomfield.

Keep in mind that the lifespan of garage door springs assumes other parts and components work as expected. If the garage door is off-balance, other parts might not be working properly, either.

Work With The Experts in Garage Door Service Broomfield

For more than 20 years, A Better Garage Door has specialized in garage door repairs and installation, earning hundreds of loyal clients throughout Broomfield, Northglenn, and many other communities. Call us today for a free quote at 303.920.2267 or drop us a note for more information.