It is not unusual for garage door springs to break eventually—after all, they sustain a lot of wear and tear because of the heavy lifting they do. Replacing them is a common garage door repair that many homeowners face at some point. Pay attention to the red flags below that it’s time to change them.

When to Replace Garage Door Springs

1. Faulty Operations

Springs are among the main components of your garage doors, providing tension for pulling them up or down. But with frequent use, they eventually fail, snap, or loosen. One sign that you need to call a garage door repair technician is when operations become less smooth than usual.

Have you noticed that the door won’t fully open sometimes? That’s your opener activating the safety feature to prevent the doors from suddenly crashing or falling due to faulty springs.

Look out for other instances that you need spring replacement, such as the door closing too quickly or lifting crookedly. When the latter happens, broken springs can cause one side of the garage door to get pulled up faster than the other.

2. Loud Noises During Closing or Opening

Garage doors tend to be a bit noisy when opening or closing. But when they are already worn out, expect to hear load groaning or squeaking because of the extra strain on the failing springs. Don’t wait to hear a loud snapping or banging noise from your garage—it can mean that the springs have completely broken.  

3. Noticeable Spring Gap

If you see a gap in the springs, it’s best to call a garage door repair technician ASAP instead of inspecting it further. Such an opening in the middle means the springs already snapped or had uncoiled due to heavy strain. 

4. Signs of Damage

Apart from wide gaps, look for other signs that the garage door springs are on their last legs. Do they look stretched out or excessively rusty?

Even if they seem to get the job done, it’s only a matter of time before they fail. If you have extension springs, pay attention to loose cables; these can indicate broken coils.

 

When you need to replace those broken springs, turn to Central Garage Door for top-notch garage door repairs. Located in Columbia, MO, they’ve provided garage door services, including new installations, replacements, and repairs, to residents across mid-Missouri since 1996. Get in touch at (573) 886-7810 or learn more about their residential garage door services online.