If you live in the Traverse City area and have issues with your garage door, the experienced team at M&M Garage Doors is available to help. We have some insightful tips about how to recognize the signs of a broken garage door spring in Traverse City, MI, and what you should do next once you realize that this important component needs attention.
How to Recognize a Broken Garage Door Spring
If you notice something amiss with your garage door after returning home from a beautiful day at Clinch Park, the reason for the issue often depends on the part of the door that’s affected. Here’s how to recognize whether your garage door woes are caused by a broken spring:
- Visible gaps: Most garage door springs are made of a single piece of metal, so if you notice a gap in the spring, you may require professional garage door spring repair or replacement.
- Loose cables: If the lift cables on the sides of your garage door look loose or slip out of alignment, it’s likely because the spring is no longer holding them tight.
- Crooked door: If your garage door has extension springs on each side and it suddenly looks crooked or uneven, a broken spring is likely the cause.
- Loud noises: An unusual pop or banging noise may occur when the spring breaks under high tension, releasing all of the stored energy at once.
- The door won’t open: In some cases, if your garage door won’t open at all, or if it only opens a few inches before stopping, it might be due to a stretched or broken spring.
What to Do Immediately After a Garage Door Spring Breaks
If your garage door spring breaks, it’s important to practice proper garage door spring safety. Stop using the door and immediately disconnect the automatic opener. Do not use the emergency release cord, as this is a serious safety issue that can cause the door to slam shut and potentially injure you. Keep pets, kids, neighbors, and family members away from the area until the issue is resolved.
Don’t drive vehicles in or out of the garage, and never attempt to make repairs yourself. The door could fall unexpectedly, even if just one spring is broken. Instead of trying to fix it DIY, contact the pros at M&M Garage Doors right away for a garage door spring inspection and safe, reliable garage door spring repair near you.
Why You Should Never Operate a Garage Door With a Broken Spring
Here’s why you should never operate a garage door with a broken spring:
- Most garage doors weigh well over 100 to 500 pounds, and without a functioning spring, the door turns into a dead weight that can slam shut, causing serious injury or damage.
- If the spring shifts or snaps, sharp metal components can suddenly recoil and turn into projectiles that can injure you or your family.
- Using the garage door opener without a functioning spring forces it to work too hard, which can burn out the motor, snap belts or chains, or strip the gears inside the opener.
- When the spring is broken, it can damage your door by warping the tracks, bending the brackets, tearing the panels, or snapping the cables.
- Continuing to use a garage door with broken springs can result in a much more serious problem, requiring even costlier repairs or a full garage door replacement.
Common Causes of Garage Door Spring Failure
There are several common causes of garage door spring failure, including:
- Cracked or snapped springs due to wear and tear, or spent cycle limits.
- Brittle springs caused by extreme cold and the freezing winter weather in Northern Michigan.
- Premature wear and over-tensioning caused by size miscalculation.
- Broken or snapped springs caused by hardware issues like sticky bearings or track problems.
- Lack of routine garage door maintenance, like failing to lubricate the springs each year, encourages dust, grime, and friction that can lead to added stress.
Torsion Springs vs Extension Springs
You may wonder whether you need garage door torsion spring repair or extension spring repair. Torsion springs are mounted horizontally on a metal shaft above the door, while extension springs stretch and retract along the sides using pulleys and cables. M&M provides professional garage door extension spring repair and replacement services for year-round residents and garage door spring repair for seasonal homes.
In Northern Michigan, most standard torsion springs can last approximately seven to 10 years when rated for 10,000 cycles. Extension springs have a shorter lifespan of around three to five years with approximately 5,000 to 10,000 cycles. Most heavy double-car or insulated garage doors use torsion springs, while smaller and lighter single-car garage doors tend to use extension springs.
How Broken Springs Affect Garage Door Openers and Cables
Broken springs can destroy your garage door’s counterweight system and force the opener to lift the heavy door unassisted. This may lead to motor burnout, and it can strip the opener’s metal internal gears, shred the belts, and destroy the chain drives. Without the necessary tension that the springs provide to open the door, cables can become loose and unspool off the drum at the top or side of the system. It can also cause the cables to get tangled around garage door hardware or become frayed, requiring replacement.
Why Garage Door Spring Replacement Requires Specialized Training
Reliable garage door spring replacement requires specialized training because:
- Components can slip during extension and torsion spring replacement, causing stored energy to discharge and potentially cause serious injuries.
- Trained professionals use specialized tools like heavy-duty winding bars and locking pliers to provide the correct method of garage door spring replacement in Northern Michigan.
- An experienced garage door spring replacement company knows how to precisely match the weights to the size, cycle count, and weight of the garage door for safe operation.
- To determine the correct spring size and tension required for safe balance, skilled garage door technicians measure the physical dimensions of the spring, calculate the torque required to match the door’s weight and height, and follow a controlled winding sequence that applies the exact number of turns for accuracy.
- Professional garage door spring installation includes inspecting and adjusting all related components like cables, brackets, rollers, and the door opener to prevent future issues.
Should Both Garage Door Springs Be Replaced?
Yes, you should replace both garage door springs when one is broken. This helps to ensure that each spring endures the same number of cycles for even wear and weight distribution. When you install just one new spring, it creates an imbalance that can put excess strain on the cables, motor, and hardware. Getting both springs replaced at once also saves on labor costs and helps you prevent another fee that you may have to pay just a few weeks or months later.
Garage Door Spring Maintenance and Prevention Tips
Before scheduling garage door spring repair in Grand Traverse County, MI, with M&M Garage Doors, follow these spring maintenance tips to help prevent damage:
- Apply a special garage door lubricant to the springs every three to six months (never use WD-40).
- Keep the coils clean and free of debris, and gently wipe them with a rag before applying new lubricant.
- Schedule a professional garage door inspection once a year, and make sure that the cables and bearings are inspected during spring replacement.
Why Traverse City Homeowners Choose M&M Garage Doors
Homeowners in Traverse City choose M&M Garage Doors for many reasons, including:
- Our commitment to outstanding service: We’re a reliable, local garage door company that focuses on bringing long-term service support and reliable craftsmanship together to offer value and quality with every repair, maintenance service, and new installation.
- Our local knowledge: At M&M Garage Doors, we understand the unique challenges Northern Michigan homeowners face, and that’s why we provide comprehensive weatherseal and insulation services that enhance garage door performance, earning our company many positive reviews written by customers just like you.
- Our experienced technicians: Every technician at M&M Garage Doors is highly skilled, trained, and experienced, with extensive knowledge of garage door issues to provide the highest level of quality service on every job, large or small.
Schedule Garage Door Spring Repair in Traverse City Today
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Contact M&M Garage Doors to schedule a garage door inspection or spring repair today!
