Spring Break? Not Fun When It's Your Garage Door
Everyone enjoys spring break, but nobody enjoys a spring break when it comes to your garage door. You may know it as the horrible, loud noise coming from your garage when you use it. When you operate your garage door, it doesn't work the same. These are signs that your garage door's
lifting spring has decided to give out on you. How and why does this happen? It surely isn't a beach vacation like other spring breaks... so here's the 411:
Your garage door's spring system has an important job
To understand just how and why a spring system can break, you'll want to know the two primary types of systems in a residential home:
Torsion spring
Torsion springs are placed in a steel tube over the head of a garage door; this attaches to the wall as the weight of the door is transferred to the anchor plate at the middle. If the space above your garage door is too small, the plate may need to be placed at the end of the horizontal tracks (known as a double horizontal track system)
Extension spring
Located on each side of an overhead door, extension springs are placed over the horizontal tracks as their coiled form extends to lift or lower the garage door; these are installed with safety cables to stop a broken spring from damaging items in the garage like your car if it breaks
What causes a garage door's lifting spring to break?
It's not always easy to say what causes a spring break for sure, but there are common reasons as to why it happens:
Wear and tear
Springs are not invincible, in fact, they last about five to seven years. One cycle of a garage door is defined as opening and closing it once. An average garage door spring system will have about 10,000 cycles in its lifespan. If you use your garage door a lot, there are 25,000-cycle spring
systems available, but it all depends on usage.
Defective spring
Accidents happen... hopefully not to you, but they can. For example, an extension spring may have a broken ring at the end of it. It's really by chance that this could happen, but don't rule it out.
Improper calibration
Spring systems need to be installed properly! Even if your door functions, over time, the stress placed on the spring will cause breakage. Make sure your garage door is installed by a professional to ensure proper calibration.
Environmental stress
Living in a cold climate surely has its effects on our homes. Garages are often cold and humid, producing the chance for rust or dried out metal that can easily break. A high-quality, insulated garage door will help with heat flow, but insulating windows or side doors will help a lot too.
No attention or care from the homeowner
Garage door systems are complex and require a little attention now and then! At least twice a year, make sure to lubricate the metal parts of the spring system that come in contact with each other (especially when it gets cold).
Fixing your garage door's spring break so you can enjoy yours
Garage door systems and springs are heavy! You want the job done right and safely. Hamburg Overhead Door offers expert garage door repair, replacement, and maintenance. If your spring system is noisy or causing problems for you and your family, give us a call. You deserve to enjoy spring while it's here, even if your garage door spring doesn't feel the same way!
