All of us have a little “do it yourself” streak in us. There’s a great deal of satisfaction we derive from a job well done – and well done by ourselves. Rightfully so! While there are some small maintenance jobs you can do on your own (we’ll discuss those opportunities later) there are some garage door repairs only the most proficient individuals should attempt.
In particular, springs should only be repaired by a professional. Garage doors have two types of springs. Extension springs and torsion springs. Extension springs stretch down on either side of the door’s horizontal track. Torsion springs are mounted on the horizontal top of the door to a long shaft that extends the door’s length.
In the torsion system door when the door is in the down position the cables attached to the bottom of the door cause the spring system to gain tension….when the door is opened the springs “unwind” allowing the door to lift.
There are multiple reasons extreme caution should be exercised in spring system repairs. First and foremost is injury to person. The sheer volume of tension necessary to lift and lower the largest piece of moving equipment in your home is massive. Should that torsion spring snap there can be broken bones in the hands and/or face causing disfigurement, concussion and even death.
If the bodily injury concern isn’t enough, you should consider the possible damage to your door. If the door slams shut you may be looking at permanent damage to your overhead door. A repair that began as inconvenient will then morph into a complete door replacement.
While there are some projects suitable for that DIY satisfaction, broken spring replacement is a matter best left to the professionals.
Call Madison Overhead Garage Door Services! We specialize in repair of residential overhead doors. Our technicians are expertly trained and fully equipped with the highest quality replacement parts available.