Garage Door Springs

For starters, torsion garage door springs are used only on garage doors that roll up, not those that swing up or out. Torsion door springs wind on a rod that is located directly above the garage door. Furthermore, there are actually two tension springs on all garage doors, but they are positioned side by side. Every so often, a tension door spring will need to be replaced, typically due to breaking. Like clockwork, when one torsion spring breaks, its pair will soon follow, so consider replacing both door springs when the time arrives. However, these types of garage door springs are incredibly dangerous to replace for a variety of reasons and can cause considerable harm should the process be completed incorrectly.

Since there is a great amount of tension placed on this type of garage door springs, it is no wonder that the task is dangerous. These types of door springs keep the weight off the garage door and allow the door to be raised and lowered by either manual or mechanical force. For this reason, you should avoid removing or stalling these springs. Each year, many individuals end up seriously injured when attempting to monkey with their torsion door springs. There are tools available from your local hardware store that can assist you in the task of removing old or broken torsion garage door springs and installing new springs if you are insistent upon doing the task yourself.

Extension springs are garage door springs that are installed on garage doors that open by swinging upward or outward. These types of door springs are located on either side of the door on special arms that allow the door to swing outward or upward. Unlike their torsion door spring counterparts, extension doors springs are a considerable amount easier to install, although you should still take a great amount of care in the installation process in order to prevent any potential accidents. When replacing these types of garage door springs, you should be sure to have an assistant to lend an extra pair of hands to the job.

Regardless of their make, you should seriously consider hiring a profession to replace your garage door springs. The danger present when dealing with torsion door springs is present and real. Although you may think that you will save a few bucks by avoiding the professional charges and doing the job yourself, you may reconsider when costly medical bills (including your pain and suffering) come to mind. Furthermore, improperly installing either torsion or extension garage door springs can cause your garage door to not properly open either manually or using a motorized garage door opener.