Garage doors are usually quite reliable and easily last for 5 to 6 years for around 10,000 openings before you might experience some kind of malfunction. What bothers homeowners most is the cost associated with the garage door spring repair. You may feel tempted to do a lot of maintenance and repair yourself at home but garage spring repair can be a little tricky especially if you do it on your own or if you don’t have enough experience with garage doors.
Why are garage door springs important?
Garage door springs are responsible for sharing some load of the door and bear lots of tension which makes it easier for your opener to lift the garage door upward again. If you feel that your garage door isn’t lifted with the opener or even by some external force, then your garage door springs are broken. Without the support of springs, the garage door will weigh about twice as much. You need to replace the broken garage door springs to restore its normal functionality.
Garage door springs are located on both sides of the garage door. Even if are having a problem with one garage door spring, replacing both of them is good for optimal function. If one breaks or has signs of wear and tear, the other garage spring will soon likely follow. The springs are generally meant for a limited number of openings before these need to be replaced.
Types of springs
There are two major types of garage door springs – Extension springs and Torsion springs. You can easily identify these springs by just having a look at your garage door. If you have a garage door with long springs that are located on the tracks on either side of the door and run parallel to these tracks, you have extension springs installed. Unlike extension springs which are long and thin, torsion springs are heavy and sit on a metal rod next to the door opening.
Problems with garage spring repair
Probably, the biggest challenge with the garage spring repair is to find the right type and the right size. To get the springs that fit exactly like the old one, you need to take the exact measurements. If you are not an expert technician, you might miss the size of the wire, the length, or the inside diameter of the springs which should be included in the measurements.
The replacement springs can’t be off even by a little because each one is supposed to take the weight of the door on which it is used. This also determines the amount of torque that is needed to open or close the door.
Another challenge is associated with the replacement itself. If something isn’t installed or replaced properly, it might be a security risk. When you seek the assistance of an expert, the work is guaranteed to be 100% complete and proper. This also ensures the safety of the people using the garage door living inside your house. The parts used by the garage door repair companies are guaranteed as well. This means that if something happens to your garage door, they will come back and fix it for you.
