What To Do If The Garage Springs In Your Lakewood, Colorado Home Break
Most homeowners don’t pay any attention to your garage door springs – that is, until they fail. The springs on your garage door are the primary lifting mechanism. Meaning they are critical to proper operation and functionality.
In a traditional, residential garage door, there are generally two tightly wound coil springs on each side of the horizontal shaft that is mounted directly above the garage door. This is known as a torsion spring system. In systems such as these, the ends of those springs are attached to the garage door cables which run down the sides of your garage door. This system is activated by the garage door opener, which raises and lowers the door – with the spring providing the necessary torque and tension in order to do so.
When one, or both, of those springs fail, the garage door opener, which is generally ¼ or ½ horsepower, is no match for the full weight of your garage door which weighs upwards of several hundred pounds.
GARAGE DOOR SPRING REPAIR
The average garage door spring, is rated to raise and lower a garage door at least 10,000 times. While this sounds like a lot, it translates to between 10 and 15 years of average use. If your garage door is otherwise in good shape, and the counterbalancing spring appears to be in good condition, a G Brothers Garage Doors technician will be able to repair your spring quickly and without much fanfare.
Garage door spring repair is a great option for those looking for a temporary solution to hold the functionality of the door over until a spring replacement can be completed.
Garage door spring repairs are cheaper then a traditional garage door spring replacement and can last a year or more. While these services are not covered under a traditional service warranty, they are a wonderful option for those looking for a cheaper alternative to a spring replacement.
A few words of caution are applicable with respect to this repair.
- First, do not attempt to repair the springs yourself, particularly if you do not have the correct tools or experience for the job. As you can imagine, coiled garage door springs store an immense amount of energy, if you try to do the repair yourself and you accidentally release the coiled energy during the repair process, you can suffer serious or even fatal injuries. Skilled, G Brothers Garage Doors technicians, have the proper skills, experience and tools, to repair a broken spring without putting anyone at risk. The money that you may save by completing the job yourself, is not worth the risk of injury to yourself.
- Next, do not attempt to lift the garage door when one of the springs is broken. If you try to manually raise the door when one of the springs is broken, again, you are risking serious injury. If you need to exit or enter your home through your garage, reach out to G Brothers Garage Doors and talk to a service technician who can guide you and offer suggestions for the safe entry or exit of your Lakewood, Colorado garage door.
GARAGE DOOR SPRING REPLACEMENT
The next option you have, should your garage door spring break, is to replace the garage door springs. This is also a very simple process for a trained, G Brothers Garage Doors technician.
While this service is slightly more expensive than a garage door spring repair, it is something that will last for another 10,000 cycles and ensures that you can avoid another unexpected spring situation in the near future.
Keep in mind that that while a garage door spring repair only repairs the broken spring, a garage door spring replacement should replace BOTH torsion springs (meaning, your G Brothers Garage Door technician will replace the broken spring as well as the existing ‘good’ spring). The reason for this is because your garage door springs were likely installed in tandem when the door itself was originally installed. If one of the springs fails, the remaining spring is likely close to failure as well (remember, they are both rated for about 10,000 cycles). If you choose to only replace the failed spring in cases such as this, the likelihood of the opposite spring failing is incredibly high.
Similar to a repair, garage door spring replacement should only be completed by a qualified, trained, technician. Replacing a garage door spring as a DIY project, could easily result in a severe (potentially life threatening) injury.
BUT…IT MIGHT BE TIME TO CONSIDER A GARAGE DOOR REPLACEMENT
As mentioned, springs have a lifespan of between 10 and 15 years – when a spring breaks, it is a great opportunity to consider investing in a brand new garage door. Your new door will come with all new components (including new springs!) and can be very affordable. To help ease your decision, we have compiled some things you should consider when deciding whether or not a new garage door is the best approach.
- Are any of the hinges between door panels corroded or deteriorating?
- Are the roller tracks on the sides of the garage door still in good shape?
- Are there any home security upgrades or energy improvements that you can implement with a new garage door or door opener?
If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of the above questions, it may be wise to take your garage door spring failure as a sign it’s time for a garage door replacement.
Regardless of the direction that you choose, if one of your garage door springs has failed, or you would like more information about your options for garage door replacement, G Brothers Garage Doors is here to help! We service all brands of garage doors and garage door openers and can provide information on options and technologies that are available for your convenience. Call G Brothers Garage Doors today and lets talk garage doors!