Identifying Garage Door Spring Issues

You might not know exactly how to determine something is wrong with your garage door springs specifically, especially if you aren’t a specialist. Maybe you can tell that something is wrong with the garage door overall, but it’s a bit difficult to pinpoint exactly what the problem is. This is expected if you don’t have experience and a background in garage door repair. 

But did you know… there are actually many methods to decide whether or not your garage door spring is functioning the way that it is supposed to? It is important that you pay attention to this part of your garage door so that your door is always operating safely and how it is supposed to. Here, we are going to go over how to identify certain issues, specifically with garage door springs. Learn how to identify garage door spring issues by reading on!

If something is obviously wrong and you aren’t confident handling the problem without the right tools, equipment and experience, call an expert. Professionals providing garage door repairs are willing to come to you from our local business in Buckhead, GA so long as you are in our service area. They will perform an inspection and determine the severity of the issue. And they will be able to provide you with a solution. 

Let’s start with the basics in terms of springs so you can know where to start if you are trying to determine whether or not there is a problem. 

Extension Springs and Torsion Springs

You have, to make your garage door function correctly, torsion and extension springs. Springs have a very important purpose, even though they might not look all that large in size. They enable a garage door to be lifted with ease (so long as they are in good condition), no matter how much your garage door might weigh. Springs provide help with torsion and therefore support a great deal of weight. 

What are torsion springs? These springs are the springs on the wall over a garage door and they are used for large-sized, very heavy doors because they have a longer lifespan and they are known for pliability. Then you have extension springs which are normally seen with one-piece garage doors, frequently overhead, and they help with contraction and expansion. 

So how are you supposed to recognize if the springs are not working as they are supposed to, without an expert eye? 

Let’s play out some different scenarios. To start, we will say that your garage door won’t budge. Meaning, you can’t get it to open. There are some questions to determine that the issue isn’t actually the opener. Does your garage door open at an angle? If so, watch out for cables out of place. Since cables are connected to springs, it could indicate a problematic torsion spring. 

Here’s another scenario – it’s just part of your system that is not working. Regardless, look at the springs because if something is wrong with them it can impact other parts of the garage door system, causing them to get strained. Notice any coil separation and look at length. You could have a problem with the springs if you see any problems here. 

Now, here is another scenario, and something you can do to try to see if springs are an issue. Go ahead and, if you are comfortable doing so, disable the automatic opener. This is actually fairly easy to do, but again, you should not do anything you don’t feel fully comfortable with. Shut the garage door and disable the opener. The next step is to carefully lift the garage door. Now, if it becomes stuck, you might have an issue. Or, if you have to use a lot of force in order to get it to open, this could also indicate a problem with springs. 

Have you thought about doing a safety test on the garage door? This is fairly simple. All you need to do is open up the garage door and then close it with the button you normally use. But you want to test it in the sense that something is placed in its path, like a thick stick or even a broom – something that could get damaged and you won’t mind. The object that is in the path of the door should force it to reverse. If it doesn’t, then something is definitely wrong, and it could be that springs are part of the issue. You will want an expert to help with this because you don’t want to risk your safety. 

Look for Signs of Spring Problems Within the Springs Themselves 

If you take the time to typically look at your springs, you will be more prone to noticing issues such as a gap in the spring, or an unusual sound. The faster problems are taken care of, the more additional damage you can avoid. 

You want your springs to last as long as possible, and this is a given. Anything associated with your garage door costs money and needs to function properly so that you can continue using this important part of your property. It’s a good idea to have a licensed and insured expert on your side.