Signs of Garage Door Spring Issues

In this blog entry, the professional Chicago garage door spring repair and Chicago garage door maintenance team here at Garage Door Repair Chicago will provide some detail regarding the different types of garage door springs, how they work, and how to tell if your garage door spring needs attention.

What are the different types of garage door springs?

- Extension Springs – Usually found on both sides of the upper track, attached with safety cables. extension Springs work with the pulley system and counterbalance. When extension Springs contract, the garage door opens, releasing its tension. extension Springs are usually made of thinner gauge metal than torsion springs.

Torsion Springs – Torsion Springs are long coils that are attached horizontally above the opening of the garage door. They turn in order to lift the garage door, rather than Contracting and expanding like extension springs. The rotation of torsion springs creates a large amount of torque, it helps to counterbalance the weight of the garage door. torsion springs are very tightly wound when the garage door is closed, and much looser when the garage door is open.

Which type of garage door spring is superior?

Torsion springs are much more common than extension springs in modern garage doors. older models of garage doors usually have extension springs. With extension springs, each spring works independently from each other, which can potentially allow one side of your garage door to lift faster than the other. On the other hand, torsion springs provide equal pressure on both sides of the door, allowing the garage door to open in a more balanced manner. The clear answer is that torsion springs are far superior to extension springs.

How long can I expect that my garage door springs will last?

The more times that you open and close your garage door, The more stress your garage door springs will experience. In addition, being exposed to the outdoors can also degrade your garage door springs over time. Usually, garage door springs last for around 10,000 opening and closing cycles. If you open and close your garage doors four times a day, this means that your garage door springs will last about 7 years before they need to be replaced. We recommend keeping your garage door springs lubricated with an approved lubricant and regularly inspected in order to keep them in ideal operating condition and last as long as they possibly can last.

Why are garage door springs so important?

Garage door springs help your garage door opener smoothly and easily open and close your garage door. A garage door is usually hundreds and hundreds of pounds, and the majority of typical Home garage door opening systems simply don’t have enough horsepower to lift that weight without the assistance of a powerful spring. garage door springs are also essential for a garage door stability and safety.

NEVER attempt to repair or remove a garage door spring by yourself, as this is extremely dangerous.

What are some signs that my garage door springs need special attention?