The garage door in your home is one of the hardest working parts, because you raise and lower it so many times in a week. Many homeowners would even agree to it that the garage door is as indispensable as the front door. The problem with all the heavy lifting though, is wear and tear happening. While many of the parts can break down, the garage door spring in particular has the biggest chance of getting damaged.
Torsion Springs
These are the most common type of springs, which make use of tightly wound metal coils to lift up the garage door with torque. This is why you see the turning motion every time the garage door is raised or lowered. You get torsion springs in sets of one to four, based on the door’s weight and size. Such springs need fewer parts and last longer than extension springs.
The Different Types
- Standard: These springs comprise the most affordable models among the lot, and generally find use in residential garage doors. They are placed over the opening of the garage door, and there is a metal shaft in the middle, which is meant to support it. Heavier doors have two springs, while lighter ones have a single spring.
- Steel Rolling: This is the type of door spring that is used generally in commercial constructions. The torsion barrel holds a rolling door, with multiple springs having been placed inside the former.
- Early Set: This form of garage door torsion spring is used in residential doors. The spring is placed in the middle of the torsion shaft.
- Torque Master: This type of garage door torsion spring has a two-spring system, and is the safest type. This is because the springs are located inside the shaft.
How to Know if your Torsion Spring is Going Out
The first way to find out if your torsion spring is damaged is to free the automatic opener and manually raise the door. If the door stays upright without you holding it up and does not move more than a bit, then the springs are fine.
Another way to see if the springs are working is to move the door to a half-open position, and see if it stays up without any help. If it feels heavy, then the springs may be about the break; if it is light, then the springs may not be the right size for the garage door. Either way, it is time for garage door repairs.