You most likely have paid very little attention to your garage door springs if you are just like most people. While easy to understand, this oversight is also a little bit unfair. There's absolutely no single element on your overhead door and garage door opener that is more vital to the raising and closing of the door. That's one good reason for paying some appreciation to the springs. Here's one more: Garage door springs are life-threatening! Very dangerous, in fact. Do yourself a favor and check out Garage Door Safety Tips prior to thinking about repairs or replacements.
In case you are experiencing issue with your overhead door, it may be because of some problem with the springs. Garage door springs sometimes break, and they can be switched out. There are suppliers out there who sell replacement springs to DIYers, and there are DIYers who have safely and successfully changed their own springs.
This particular post is not a how-to on overhead door spring replacement. It is designed to familiarise you with overhead door springs and some of the upkeep duties you can carry out on your own.
Two Types of Garage Door Springs
There are two different kinds of springs used on garage doors. Torsion springs are connected just above the closed garage door, while extension springs are located above the upper tracks on both sides.
Garage Door Springs and Your Safety
(For tips on finding an experienced overhead door professional, see How To Find the Best Garage Door Installers and Repairmen). In the event that your overhead door is worn out, or if it is showing symptoms of age, let an experienced service provider check your garage door springs.
In case the springs are simply squealing and otherwise producing a lot of noise, there are a few things you might wish to do before calling in the troops. A small squeak does not always mean a big issue, any more than an aching head means a brain tumor. In case it makes any difference, apply some garage door lubricant to the springs and see. In case it doesn't, you may have a significant issue brewing. For recommendations on the most ideal lubricating substances to use on your overhead door, check out this site. For some additional suggestions on decreasing the noise of your overhead door, see How To Quiet a Noisy Overhead door.
Overhead door Safety Cables
The two sorts of garage door springs reviewed above work differently. A garage door using extension springs will have a safety cord on each edge of the door running through the spring and connected to the wall or ceiling.
In the case that you have extension springs on your garage door but can not find any safety cables, get in touch with a garage door pro and get a pair setuped.
Out of Balance Springs
The very best sign of a well-functioning garage door is that it opens and closes down easily and quietly. The moment it stops working as it should, the issue may be serious. Try controling the garage door manually (pull the cord attached to the arm linking the rail trolley system to the door). The issue could more info be that the springs are out of balance if the door continues to be hard to operate. In this particular case, you can be certain that the complication isn't going to repair itself. And failing to take care of it could possibly result in an escalating list of worn and damaged parts. Call a professional RIGHT AWAY.
Overhead door Spring Brackets
Overhead check here door springs are attached to brackets on the bottom of the garage door. As with the springs, these brackets are also under a lot of tension and should only be adjusted or otherwise maintained by a pro. Newer versions of overhead door have tamper-resistant brackets that keep the newbie but curious among us from getting into trouble.