Springs of unknown age
Garage Door Spring Repair in Alva
Learn whether your door has torsion or extension springs, how worn they are and what a correctly matched replacement set will do for the lift.
Ask about your springs — (239) 426-7621
Springs Do the Heavy Lifting
Most people underestimate how much a garage door weighs, and its springs bear nearly all of it. Torsion springs are coiled around a shaft above the doorway. Extension springs, the other common style, stretch along the horizontal tracks. Either type is rated for a set number of cycles, commonly about ten thousand for standard versions.
In a house you just bought, nobody knows how many cycles are already spent. We check the type, the coil condition and the balance, then fit a matched set sized to the door's real weight. The stored force is serious, so this is work for trained hands.
Signs the Springs Are Tired
A loud bang at some point
A sharp noise from the garage and then a door that refuses to lift usually points to a broken spring. A visible gap in the coil confirms it.
Door will not stay halfway
Lift the door by hand to waist height. If it drifts up or slams down, the springs are no longer matching its weight, even if both are intact.
Rust or stretched coils
Orange coating on the coil, spacing that has opened up or extension springs that sag point to age. A prior owner's missing maintenance often shows here first.
What Replacement Involves
- 1
Identify and measure
We note wire size, coil length, diameter and the door's weight, which together decide the right spring. Guesswork leaves a door that fights you or flies upward.
- 2
Swap the set carefully
The door is secured, tension is released in a controlled way and the old springs come off. Pairs are replaced together because they wear at the same rate.
- 3
Wind, balance, confirm
New springs are tensioned until the door sits still when lifted halfway. Then the opener is checked and the full cycle is run with the reverse test.
Spring Questions From New Owners
- Only one spring snapped, so why change the pair?
- The pair lifts the door together and ages together, so when one lets go the other is usually close behind. Fitting two new springs at once keeps the lift even, protects the cables and spares the opener from hauling weight it was never meant to carry.
- Can I wind a spring myself to save a visit?
- We would advise against it. A winding bar can slip, and a spring under tension can cause a serious injury. Getting the size slightly wrong also leaves the door unbalanced. Leave the door closed, keep clear of the coils and phone us instead.
- How will I know how long new springs last?
- Standard springs are commonly rated around ten thousand cycles, and longer-life options exist. The right choice depends on how often your household uses the door, so we talk through your routine and suggest a set that fits it rather than guessing.
Think Your Springs Are Going?
Describe the way the door behaves and the state of the coil. Please leave the door alone until we have talked it over.
Describe the spring at (239) 426-7621