What To Expect During A Garage Door Spring Repair?

A loose or broken spring can cause your garage door to produce loud noises or fail to close and open properly.

In such cases, you will need a replacement spring to ensure the effectiveness of your garage door operations.

An expert garage door professional is the best person to handle this spring replacement and repair. However, you can do it yourself if you have the necessary skill set. This guide will take you through what to expect during a garage door spring repair.

Overview of the repair process from start to finish

A faulty garage door spring compromises the security and safety of your business or home. In that case, you will need a garage door spring repair or replacement to keep your door up and running as soon as possible. One vital thing to note is that there are two types of garage door springs: extension and torsion springs. Here is the repair process for both the extension and torsion springs.

Torsion Springs

Repairing damaged torsion springs is relatively straightforward. The steps involved in this repair process include the following:

Attach C-clamps to the inside of the tracks to ensure the garage door remains closed.
Unplug your garage door opener.
Place a sturdy ladder near the spring’s winding cones. Then insert the winding bar’s end into the winding cone.
Firmly hold the winding bar as you loosen the set screws available on the winding cone, gradually unloading the springs. Repeat this process for all the torsion springs.
Unplug the torsion springs from the spring bracket.
Disconnect the lift cables and cable drums.
Attach new left-hand and right-hand springs to the correct positions.
Reconnect the lift cables.
Use two new winding bars to load the new springs.
Use a hammer to tap the winding bars and then tighten the set screws to fasten the winding cone to the torsion bar.
Use a lubricant to lubricate the garage door torsion springs.
Remove the C-clamps from the garage door.
Lift the garage door about 3 feet high and test to see if it remains in place.

Extension springs

Broken extension springs can be highly dangerous. Thus, your goal should be to repair this breakage immediately. Below is a list of the extension springs repair process from start to finish:

Have new springs ready.
Fully open the door and fasten C-clamps to the garage door tracks.
Unplug the garage door opener.
Remove all extension springs from the bracket.
Unplug the moveable pulley from the spring’s end and disconnect the loose lift cable from the pulley.
Unplug the safety cable running through the extension spring, ensuring the extension spring is ready for removal.
Begin the new spring installation process by threading the safety cable through the new replacement spring and attaching it to the track brackets.
Re-attach the pulley and safety cable.
Remove the C-clamps and re-connect the opener.
Test your garage door to see if it works seamlessly.

Estimated timeline and costs for repairs

The average cost of torsion garage spring repair for a simple tune-up can be from $40 to $150. On the other hand, a replacement will require you to pay more. The average cost of torsion springs replacement often ranges from $140 to $350, while extension spring replacement is about $120 to $200.

These average replacement costs include the new springs’ price and labor charges. Furthermore, a complete replacement can take garage door professionals about 30 minutes to one hour.

Safety precautions that need to be taken

When taking care of any garage door issues, it is essential to apply safety precautions. If you fail to apply safety, you may suffer bodily harm or bring damage to your garage door. Here are the safety precautions necessary when handling garage doors spring repairs:

Use compatible and solid winding bars when making a torsion spring replacement.
Clear your worksite.
Unplug garage door openers when repairing the springs. Unplugging the openers prevents accidental activations as you work on the garage door.
Use a sturdy step ladder when making the repairs.
Hire a professional for complex garage spring replacement.
Wear protective objects like the appropriate work gloves, goggles, and helmet.
Avoid using incorrect new garage door springs.

Factors to consider when deciding between repair and replacement

The decision on whether to make a spring replacement or a repair needs careful consideration. Sometimes installing new springs will not make sense, while other times, it is the best decision possible. Below are the factors to consider when deciding between garage door spring repair and replacement.

The extent of the damage: If your garage door springs are completely worn out or broken, you must make a replacement.
The cost: Generally, replacements cost higher than repairs. If you need to save money, you can consider a repair over replacement.
The age of the garage door spring: Experts advise that a garage door spring should be replaced after every 7 to 10 years.

In Conclusion

A garage door spring’s wear and tear can cause significant garage door issues. These issues may be so extensive that your garage door fails to open or close properly. The best thing is that a garage door spring repair involves a fast process of about 30-60 minutes.

Has your garage door spring ever malfunctioned? What was your first response to this malfunction?

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