Assuming that you are just like the majority of people, you most likely have paid pretty limited attention to your overhead door springs. While understandable, this carelessness is also a little bit unfair. There's really no other component on your garage door and overhead door opener that is more crucial to the raising and lowering of the door. That's just one reason for paying some recognition to the springs. Here's one more: Garage door springs are dangerous! Very dangerous. Do yourself a favor and study Garage Door Safety Tips prior to thinking about replacements or repairs.
In the event that you are getting trouble with your overhead door, it may be caused by some problem with the springs. Overhead door springs do break, and they can be switched out. There are dealers out there who sell replacement springs to DIYers, and there are DIYers who have correctly and successfully changed their own springs.
This specific post is not a how-to on overhead door spring replacement. It is aimed to acquaint you with overhead door springs and some of the repair and maintenance duties you may carry out by yourself.
Two Types of Overhead door Springs
There are two different styles of springs used on overhead door. Torsion springs are connected right above the closed overhead door, while extension springs are located above the top tracks on both edges.
Garage Door Springs and Your Basic safety
Garage door springs are tightly wound, implying they are under a lot of tension. The moment they break, or when some unsuspecting DIYer attempts to fiddle with them, they may cause a great deal of suffering. check here Smart DIYers realize that this is one household project that is best left to the expert. (For suggestions on choosing a certified garage door expert, see How To Find the Best Overhead door Installers and Repairmen). If your garage door is worn out, or if ever it is showing indications of aging, let an accomplished contractor check your overhead door springs.
Apply some garage door lubricant to the springs and watch if it makes any change. For suggestions on the best lubricants to apply on your overhead door, check this site. For some extra suggestions on reducing the noise of your garage door, see How To Quiet a Noisy Garage Door.
Overhead door Safety Cables
The two designs of garage door springs reviewed above work in different ways. A garage door with extension springs will have a safety cord on every side of the door going through the spring and connected to the wall or ceiling. These cords are an important safety element. Extension springs are under a lot of tension, and if one was to break, it could inflict severe injury. Safety cables assist manage a broken spring.
In the case that you have extension springs on your garage door but can't identify any safety cords, get in touch with a garage door pro and get a pair mounted.
Out of Balance Springs
The very best sign of a well-functioning garage door is that it opens and closes easily and silently. When it stops working as it should, the problem may be significant. Try running the garage door by hand (pull the cord connected to the arm connecting the rail trolley system to the door). The problem could be that the springs are out of balance if the door continues to be difficult to operate. In this particular scenario, you may be confident that the problem isn't going to repair itself. And failing to take care of it could possibly lead to an escalating list of broken and worn parts. Contact a professional RIGHT AWAY.
Garage Door Spring Brackets
Garage door springs are affixed to joints on the bottom of the garage door. Similar to the springs, those brackets are also under a great get more info deal of pressure and should only be adjusted or otherwise maintained by a pro. Newer models of garage doors have tamper-resistant brackets that prevent the curious but unskilled amongst us from getting into trouble.