Garage Door Springs

Garage Door Springs: Making Opening Garage Door Efficient and Safe

Door springs are part of the basic mechanism through which a garage door functions. Their function is to help in lifting and lowering of the garage door. Thus these large wire coils help in balancing the weight of the door. Once springs are properly installed and adjusted, all you would need to do is to just manually move the door up or down, just a foot or two. By doing this, the garage door spring will automatically take over and do the work for you.

There are these two basic types of door springs: torsion and extension. Torsion springs are used with sectional roll-away garage doors. Here, two torsion door springs are placed at either side of the top center of the garage door. Extension springs, on the other hand, are used with swing-ups and are mounted on the extended swing arms of the door.

According to the law of physics, the tension supplied by the spring is relative to the weight of the garage door. Doors often weight up to 400 pounds and therefore, selecting the right spring is crucial for the working and safety of the garage door. Depending on the size of the garage door (e.g. single garage door, double garage door), the springs come in different lengths. A good spring will always have a color code in accordance with DASMA specifications. The color code specifies how much tension and weight can the spring take.

Repair and installation of garage door springs range around $75-$350. However, the best practice always is doing a little research at local shops and then comparing the prices. Professional quality also should be a determining factor in making the right selection. In the long run, it is always better to pay a little extra for good quality and thus avoid continual repairs.

Stanley manufactures oil tempered steel extension spring. This particular spring comes with a safety cable which helps in preventing any type of damage in case the extension springs breaks. In fact, it is that it has double looped spring ends for extra protection.
The durability of door springs, like every other thing, is determined by its maintenance. Always perform regular check-ups of the springs’ condition. If the spring needs repair, get it done as soon as possible. Even if you think that only one spring is damaged, it is advised to replace both the springs together.

Martin is another well-known garage door spring manufacturing company. Their specialty is galvanized torsion springs which also come with a lifetime warranty. They have also manufactured a ‘controlled descent device’ which stops the door from falling in case the spring relaxes of breaks down.

Some consider changing garage door springs as a DIY (do it yourself) job. However, experts suggest that taking such a project without any prior experience can be not just dangerous but life-threatening as well. Especially, torsion springs which are trickier to handle. Clopay has come out with a torsion spring that can be tensioned by the use of an electric drill. These new concept springs in your garage door will make it safe for you to tension it yourself. Although, the best is to hire a professional for changing door springs of your garage.