How Dangerous Is Garage Door Spring Repair?

Garage doors are extremely convenient, but they can be nightmares for the average homeowner to perform any kind of DIY repair job. Though regular maintenance — such as lubricating the track, replacing the weatherstrip, and checking the rollers — is both doable and encouraged, one job you will not want to take on is any kind of garage door repair.

The answer is simple: safety. Every year, hundreds and even thousands of people head to the emergency room with garage door related injuries, and a percentage of those most likely come from faulty springs. The average spring is rated for about 10,000 cycles, or for about 7–12 years, and they are the part most likely to break first.

Two Types of Springs

Generally speaking, there are two types of garage door springs: extension and torsion. Torsion springs turn on their axis to raise and lower the garage door, usually feeling the most tension when the garage door is up. Extension springs, as the name might suggest, expand and contract to bring the door up and down. Of the two, torsion springs are more common because they generally last longer than extension springs.

How Are They Dangerous?

Extension springs are not really that dangerous, or at least the repair isn't. They have a jerking motion and bring the door up faster, which can be dangerous, but they're also much easier replaced.

Torsion springs, on the other hand, need to be repaired by a company that specializes in garage door spring repair. If they fail when the door is up, the door can close and hurt anyone underneath it, especially children. And when the door is up, the spring is under an enormous amount of pressure, which can snap and maim someone standing nearby. Garage door repair companies have people with the right tools and experience to handle these types of problems.

How Can You Safely Repair the Spring?

The safest way you can repair a garage door spring is by calling to schedule garage door spring repair services. Though you might feel fully capable to tackle this job on your own, the cost of garage door repair services is relatively minor compared to the cost of potential hospital bills and future repair services. Be sure to also inspect the springs and door regularly to monitor for rust and potential weak spots, that way it doesn't fail when you're not expecting it.

For more information, contact a garage door spring repair service in your area.

Share