You most likely have paid very little attention to your overhead door springs if you are like most home owners. While understandable, this mistake is also a little unfair. There's absolutely no single component in your garage door and overhead door opener that is more important to the raising and closing of the door. That's one good reason for giving some respect to the springs. Here's one more: Overhead door springs are hazardous! Very life-threatening, in fact. Do yourself a favor and go through Garage Door Safety Tips prior to thinking about replacements or repairs.
In the event that you are having problem with your overhead door, it can be due to some problem with the springs. Overhead door springs sometimes break, and they can be changed. There are companies out there who offer replacement springs to DIYers, and there are DIYers who have correctly and successfully replaced their own springs.
This particular information is not a how-to on garage door spring replacement. It is meant to familiarize you with overhead door springs and some of the routine maintenance tasks you may perform yourself.
Two Types of Overhead door Springs
There are two various types of springs used on garage doors. Torsion springs are fastened right above the closed garage door, while extension springs are located above the top tracks on both of these edges.
Garage Door Springs and Your Safety
Garage door springs are tightly wound, implying they are under a great deal of tension. When they break, or when some unsuspecting DIYer tries to tamper them, they may induce a whole lot of pain. Smart DIYers recognize that this is one home project that is best left to the pros. (For suggestions on getting an experienced garage door expert, see How To Find the Best Garage Door Installers and Repairmen). If your garage door is worn out, or in the event that it is showing symptoms of aging, let an experienced professional check your overhead door springs.
Apply some garage door more info lubricant to the springs and see if it makes any difference. For suggestions on the best lubricants to use on your garage door, check this site. For some additional advice on reducing the noise of your garage door, see How To Quiet a Noisy Garage get more info Door.
Garage Door Safety Cables
The two types of garage door springs reviewed above work differently. A garage door using extension springs will have a safety cable on each side of the door running through the spring and connected to the wall or ceiling. These cables are an important safety feature. Extension springs are under a lot of tension, and if one was to bust, it might inflict severe damage. Safety cables aid deal with a broken spring.
In the case that you have extension springs on your overhead door but can not see any safety cords, get in touch with a garage door expert and get a pair mounted.
Out of Balance Springs
The best sign of a well-functioning overhead door is that it opens up and closes down easily and quietly. Try operating the garage door by hand (pull the cable secured to the arm attaching the rail trolley system to the door). If the door continues to be difficult to operate, the problem could be that the springs are out of balance.
Overhead door Spring Brackets
Overhead door springs are affixed to joints on the bottom of the garage door. Similar to the springs, those brackets are also under a great deal of pressure and can only be adjusted or otherwise maintained by a pro. Newer models of garage doors have tamper-resistant brackets that prevent the unskilled but curious among us from getting into trouble.