3 Signs That Your Garage Door Springs Have Sprung

Garage doors aren't too difficult to maintain. Periodically lubricating the moving parts and checking for signs of wear is usually all that you have to do to keep your garage door in as good a shape as possible. However, after a while, you may need to have your garage door springs replaced. The springs are an important part of the door – they're what keeps the door suspended when it's raised. If your springs break, the heavy door will come crashing down without warning, which can be very dangerous to any people, pets, or property that might be in the way at the time. Find out what signs to look for so that you can have your spring replaced before it breaks.

Your Garage Door is Closing too Fast

If you notice that the garage door seems to be coming down faster than usual, or if it's lowering significantly faster than it raises, that may be a sign that your spring is weak and is getting ready to give out. You can test the door by opening and closing it manually.

First, turn off the power to the garage door opener. Raise the door about halfway, then let it go. Does it stay in one place, or does it continue to drop? Your garage door is heavy, so it may move a little bit even if your spring is still OK, but any more than a small amount of downward movement indicates a problem.

Your Garage Door Makes a Lot of Noise

Next, open and close the garage door slowly. Are the springs squeaking? They may just need more lubrication, but if you've been maintaining them and you're still hearing a squeaking sound, it's a sign that the springs are in poor shape.

Your Springs Look Worn Out

Before you reconnect the power to the garage door opener, take some time to visually examine your springs. Are they rusty? When rust begins developing on your garage door springs, it's a good sign that you're going to need replacements soon. If your live in a very humid area, or near a beach where there is a lot of salt in the air, you should be particularly careful about checking for rust, and you may need to replace your garage door springs more often than the average homeowner.

You should also lower the garage door completely one more time and observe what the spring looks like when it's completely stretched out. Are the coils evenly spaced? If you see uneven spacing or large gaps between the coils, that indicates a worn-out spring.

If you determine that your springs need to be replaced, don't try to do it yourself. Garage door springs are under high pressure, and even the handiest do-it-yourselfer may not be able to change a garage door spring safely. For safety's sake, contact a garage door professional such as The Garage Door Co Ltd to replace your worn-out springs. 

Share