Signs Your Garage Door Springs Are Broken

Your garage door gets a lot of use. For most of us living in Central Iowa, it is the main way we enter and leave our homes every day. Over time, your garage door springs start to experience normal wear and tear and will eventually break. So, what are the signs?

Your Garage Door Cables are Loose. When you notice that your garage door cables are loose or sagging, your instinct is to think that the cables themselves are broken. This is not always the case. Your torsion springs are designed to stay tightly wound which keep the cables in place. When your springs break, the tension keeping your cables is place is no longer there and your cables will slip out of place.

You See a Gap in Your Torsion Spring. When your torsion springs break, they come unwound and create a visible gap. If you see this, call a professional to replace them.

Your Garage Door is Opening or Closing Crooked. One of the causes of your garage door opening or closing skewed is a broken extension spring. These types of springs are mounted on either side of your garage door. When one breaks, it no longer is supporting the weight of the garage door on that side causing the door to open crooked.

Your Garage Door Jerks When You Operate It. If your garage door jerks when it opens and closes, it is likely that your springs are broken. This is most common if your garage door has extension springs.

Your Garage Door Only Opens About Six Inches. Since your torsion springs support the weight of your garage door, when they break your motor will not be able to open the door completely. They are not designed to support the heavy weight of your garage door and will open only about 6 inches and stop. This is a safety design built in for most motors to keep them from breaking.

Your Garage Door Falls Quickly When Closing. If your garage door falls faster than usual when you are closing it, the cause is usually a broken spring. The springs are no longer doing their job of supporting the weight of your garage door causing the door to slam closed quickly.

Your Garage Door is Very Heavy. If your garage door will not open when you push the wall button or remote control and you attempt to manually open it but it is extremely heavy, this is another sign that your garage door springs are broken. Your springs support the weight of the garage door and without them, your garage door is just dead weight.

You Hear A Loud Bang. Since your torsion springs are wound tightly, when they break it happens quickly producing a loud bang as they come apart. This can sound pretty scary and many homeowners don’t know where the sound came from.  

If you are noticing any of these signs, the chances are that you have a broken spring or two. We don’t say this about most garage door repairs, but this is not one of those projects you should tackle yourself. Since the springs require a lot of tension to operate properly, it is extremely dangerous to attempt to change your springs yourself if you do not have the experience or tools. A professional, like Baldwin Garage Doors and Gates, is the way to go.