Garage door spring repair
Garage door falls fast when closing?
A door that drops fast is not being held up by its springs the way it should. Stop using it and have the springs checked before it comes down on something or someone.
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Is this what you're seeing?
The door used to glide down and now it drops or slams the last few feet.
It is louder than it used to be when it hits the floor.
The opener strains less on the way down than it used to, because gravity is doing the work.
The door sits lower than it did when you left it halfway open.
You are afraid to walk under it.
What's going on
Going up, springs give back the energy stored in them. Going down, they should still carry most of the weight so the door lowers gently. When tension is low, the springs only cancel part of the weight, so the door falls faster than it should. In plain terms: the balance has slipped toward the heavy side.
The most common causes are a torsion spring that has worn out and lost strength, a broken spring on a two-spring setup, or a cable that has slipped and let one side drop. Sometimes the door was changed without the springs being changed: someone added insulation, windows or a heavier panel, and nobody re-sized the springs.
A fast-falling door is a safety problem more than a nuisance. Even doors with working auto-reverse can crush something small before the sensors react, and the opener may not be able to stop a free-falling door at all.
What to do right now
Do
Stop using the door, including from the wall button.
Block off the area under it, especially for children and pets.
Note whether the door stops in the middle or only drops once you let go.
Check that nothing is stored directly beneath the door.
Don't
Do not test the fall by letting go of the door partway. It may drop faster than you can react.
Do not adjust the spring winding bars or set screws. Spring tension is dangerous to touch.
Do not wedge your hand or foot under the door to slow it.
Do not pull the red release cord with the door open. It can drop the full weight at once.
How we fix it
The tech first confirms whether the problem is the springs, a cable, or the door's weight. Then we replace worn or broken springs and balance the door, which is the work in garage door spring repair. We also check the cables and bottom brackets while we are there, since they share the load.
Repair or replace?
Springs wear out in a predictable way, by number of cycles, so repair is usually the answer. We would suggest a new door only if the door has been damaged or is so worn that new springs would not balance it.
If the door has been getting heavier over time, ask whether you want a higher cycle-life spring this time. Spring cycle life is worth a short conversation, particularly for busy households.
Related questions
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Stop the door from dropping
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