How Do I Know If I Need A New Garage Door Spring
- You heard a loud âbangâ when trying to open the garage door
- The door closes too fast
- The door wonât stay open
- Cables are loose or broken
- The garage door is hanging crooked
- Metal parts are squeaking
- There is noticeable rust or corrosion on your springs
- The motor is running, but the door wonât open
schedule a service
Cost To Repair Garage Door Spring:
The cost of repairing a spring is more affordable than installing the new springs. The average cost for repairing a spring is around $180-$200 depending on your garage door type. When an installer disassembles the door brackets to repair the springs the rate would be from $100 to $350.
The general garage door repairs including balancing the springs, lubrication & installing safety cables to avoid major consequences when a spring breaks. A homeowner can easily lubricate the springs and the cost of a lubricant is nominal around $5-$6. The cost of safety cable installation ranges from $140 to $200.
How To Replace Garage Door Springs
- Total Time: 1 – 3 hrs
- Skill Level: Advanced
- Estimated Cost: $40 to $120
Garage door springs offset the weight of a garage door and allow the door to be opened and closed easily, either by hand or with an automatic opener. The high-tension steel in the springs has a limited lifespan, and over time, the springs will lose their effectiveness and need replacing. Many homeowners choose to have this work done by a professional since working with springs under tension is potentially dangerous. However, it’s entirely possible for a moderately-skilled DIYer to do the work themselves and save money.
Whether you want to tackle this project yourself or have a pro do it, remember that garage door springs come in levels of qualitythey can be described as “10,000-use” or “20,000-use” springs, for example. This may sound like a very large number, but when you consider that a garage door can be opened four or five times a day, every day, every year, it becomes clear that there is a limited lifespan for these critical parts. It’s usually wise to buy quality parts since this is a job you’d rather not do too often.
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Wood Garage Door Spring Replacement
- one car garage $299-349 Price includes one spring
- two car garage $429-529 Price includes two springs
- See pricing page for more info.
*oversize or carriage house doors extra, call for pricing.**Deposits on custom made springs and high cycle springs are nonrefundable
Emergency After Hours Garage Door Repair:
How Are Garage Door Torsion Spring Replaced
Torsion springs are replaced with the garage door closed and held in position with C-clamps. As with extension springs, any garage door opener is disconnected.
To unload the springs, a winding bar is inserted into the winding cone, and the tension released from the springs. After this the springs are disconnected, followed by disconnection of the lift cables. New springs are next attached and the lift cables re-attached.
After this the torsion springs have to be loaded using winding bars and the springs anchored.
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How Much Does It Cost To Replace Garage Door Torsion Springs
The typical price for a garage door torsion spring replacement is variable. The price depends on the weight and the size of the garage door. For example, most homes in United States build with a 16 feet wide door and 7 feet high, which is a standard two car garage 25 gauge weight an approximately one hundred and fifty five pounds . A standard two-car garage can use at least six types of spring with each one has a different life cycle. Spring life cycle determine the amount of times a garage door will travel up and down until the spring wire will weaken and break.
The following information was obtained from professional garage door companies in the Dallas Fort Worth metro for a 16×7 garage door 25 gauge.
| Number of |
Cost Of Repairing Door Springs
Normally it is more cost effective to repair your garagedoor rather than put a whole new one in. The main types of garage door repairsare fixing the springs. On average it costs around $181 to have your brokensprings repaired, but it can vary from $101 to $351, depending on whether ornot the garage door professional has to take the brackets apart in order to getto the springs. When repairing garage doors, the springs should be lubricatedor balanced, and the safety cables should be installed so that the extensionsprings system has a backup. A lot of the time, lubricating door springs can bedone without the help of a professional and you would only have to pay for thelubricant which is around $7 to $8. Although, lubrication is usually includedin the price package when you hire a professional to maintain your garage door.Your garage door will need the springs refitted in order to balance it out,which takes about 46 to 91 minutes to finish, and will cost around $76 to $111.It will cost around $151 and $201 to have your safety cables installed.
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How Are Garage Door Extension Springs Replaced
Of the two types of garage door spring, extension springs are the easier to replace. But, bear in mind that there are still potential safety hazards if you were to replace them, not least that of a falling door.
When new extension springs are fitted, the garage door is opened fully and secured so it stays that way using C-clamps on both door tracks. Any garage door opener is also disconnected.
After that, the spring is disconnected from the track bracket and the spring pulley, and the safety cable disconnected from the bracket and the old spring removed.
Then the new spring is installed, and the pulley re-installed with the safety cable reconnected.
Additional Cost Factors For Garage Door Springs
The type of spring and type of door are the most significant cost factors, but other parts of the job can affect the final price.
- Number of doors: The more garage doors, the more it costs to replace the springs, though you can often get a discount on more than one. A double garage door spring replacement costs about $200$400.
- Materials: The springs quality varies by price point, and the number of springs increases the price.
- Geographic location: The cost of replacing garage door springs is higher where the cost of living is higher.
- Converting from extension to torsion springs: Torsion garage door springs last longer and are safer. You can convert your garage door yourself for between $200 and $500. Alternatively, you can hire a professional for $400$800.
- Labor costs: A garage door company may charge $50$100 more if extra work is requiredfor example, if the company needs to disassemble the brackets to reach the spring.
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What Type Of Garage Spring Do I Need
To replace the spring correctly, youll need to know what type you have. The two main types of springs are extension and torsion.
Torsion springs are the long, thin springs along the doors horizontal track, which extend when you move the door. They include three types of springs:
- Open-looped extension springs
- Double-looped extension springs
- Clipped-end extension springs
Torsion springs sit on the metal shaft above the door opening. They get wound to a specific torsion that assists with the assembly. The four types are:
- Early-set torsion springs.
- Steel rolling door torsion springs.
Can I Replace Just One Garage Door Spring
You can replace just one garage door spring at a time. However, if one of them has reached the end of its life, you may think it likely that the other is near it unless you know that a single spring was replaced previously. One visit from a professional rather than waiting for a second spring to fail and bringing them back a short time afterwards can also prove a time and money saver overall.
Its also important that a garage door is balanced so a pair of new extension springs makes sense for this point of view, too. When it comes to torsion springs and your door has more than one, a professional contractor will ensure the door is balanced and can advise on whether you can combine an old and new spring.
The lifespan of garage door springs is measured in cycles: when the door goes up and down once, thats a cycle. Standard springs have a 10,000 cycle lifespan, so you can see that how often you need to raise and lower the door daily will affect the number of years of service you can expect from a spring.
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How To Replace A Torsion Spring On A Garage Door
Torsion spring replacement is technically more difficult than that of extension springs and can be dangerous. If youre not confident in your abilities, call a professional.
How To Replace Garage Door Torsion Springs
The following instructions for replacing garage door springs are for do-it-yourself homeowners and for maintenance repair men who service their smaller commercial or industrial sectional overhead doors. These directions are designed for torsion springs mounted to both sides of an anchor bracket above the middle of the garage door as pictured above. Instructions for replacing a single torsion spring, for replacing garage door extension springs, and for replacing Wayne Dalton Torquemaster springs are linked to our DIY Instructions page above. You’ll also find a link for any other garage door parts you may need while repairing your door.
How much should a garage door spring replacement cost? The national average is between $200 and $300 for a professional to come to your house and replace two springs. On line sources suggest a higher price of over $700 and that you will save $500 or more by replacing springs yourself. This is simply not true. To find the cost for replacing springs in your area look for a reputable company through Yelp or the Better Busienss Bureau. If clicking a site’s BBB logo doesn’t take you to the BBB site, we advise purchasing your springs from a different company.
If your garage spring assembly is different from this, parts of these instructions may be helpful, but other parts may give dangerous, inaccurate directions which could cost you a lot of time and money should you attempt to replace the springs using standard instructions.
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Easy Fixes You Can Safely Do Yourself
You should really leave any repairs that involve adjustments of the tension on your garage door springs to the professionals, but if you insist that you do all of the repairs that you can yourself, there are a few that would be acceptable with the proper self-training. One of these repairs is tightening the bolts and nuts that are holding the door and door track in place. You will also be able to inspect your door and all of the parts for any signs of erosion. It would also be good to apply lubrication to the doors moving parts like the bearings, pulleys, and springs. This protects the moving parts from debris and will quiet the noises the door could possibly make when opening and closing. You can also install an automatic garage door opener yourself if needed.
Identify The Type Of Spring
Following the descriptions above, identify your type of garage door spring. Check the orientation of your garage door spring to determine if you have a common extension spring.
Finding and buying a replacement spring for the garage door shouldnt be difficult, provided youve taken measurements beforehand and determined what type of spring you need. The spring manufacturer or the garage door manufacturer is a great source of information and can usually supply you with a replacement product for your exact door. They can also be a resource to answer questions and supply instructions.
Torsion spring on a commercial garage door marked a blue color for easy identification.
Shutterstock
Torsion spring on a commercial garage door marked a blue color for easy identification.
Extension springs are commonly color-coded with a repeating pattern that indicates the amount of weight they can lift.
Purchase a new spring that matches the color of the current spring:
- Tan: 100 pounds
- Gold: 180 pounds
- Light Blue: 190 pounds
If you cant determine the manufacturer or model, take photos of the springs and bring them to a hardware store. Or you may have to call a pro to come to your home and help you identify what parts you’ll need to replace.
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The Two Types Of Garage Door Springs
Extension springs are most common for residential garage doors. These springs are usually referred to as standard or early-set torsion springs.
Steel rolling-door and torque-master springs can be used for residential homes but are most often used in commercial and industrial sites with much heavier garage doors.
Choosing the right product for a garage door spring replacement is critical.
Double-looped extension spring on a residential garage door.
Double-looped extension spring on a residential garage door.
Garage Door Extension Spring Replacement Cost
The average cost to replace garage door extension springs is $120 to $150 for one spring and $150 to $200 for two springs. The extension springs alone cost $20 to $50 each. Extension springs are cheaper, easier to install, and require less maintenance than torsion springs.
However, extension springs have a shorter life expectancy of 4 to 10 years or 5,000 to 15,000 cycles, and should be converted to torsion springs.
Garage Door Extension Spring Replacement Cost
| Number of Springs | |
|---|---|
| Two Springs | $150 $200 |
Extension springs hang next to the garage door tracks on the ceiling or vertically on both sides of the door. Extension springs stretch out as the garage door closes, which builds up the tension required to lift the door again. Extension springs are typically found on lightweight, tilt-up overhead doors.
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Signs Its Time To Replace Torsion Springs
Does anything else in a home get the workout of a garage door opener? The door is called upon day after day to open and close, meaning the opener must move a heavy weight up and down multiple times. Little wonder that the torsion springs that do most of the heavy lifting for a garage door opener can get worn out and need replacement after less than a decade.
Weve created this torsion spring replacement guide to help you determine when to replace garage torsion springs. Here are five signs that a set of springs is ready to go.
Possible Problems With Garage Door Springs
As most mechanical parts do, garage door springs tend to break down over time, from expected wear weakening them until they finally give out. Normally, garage door springs are expected to be able to close and open up to 11,000 times. This lifespan should measure up to about six to eight years, although, there might be problems that arise in that time, prior to the springs breaking. As well as the usual wear on springs, there are other contributing factors when it comes to damage of door springs. They include formations of rust on your springs, damage to the springs if your garage door was installed incorrectly, and irregular maintenance.
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The Door Is Out Of Alignment
If your door is out of alignment, it may not close properly, or you may be left with a gap at the bottom when the door is in the closed position. Well confirm if the spring is broken and causing your door to go off track. If it is, well provide you with an estimate for the repair work before proceeding. Once we have your permission to complete the repairs, well replace the spring and realign the door.
Recent Testimonials From Garage Door Nation Customers:
“Thank you. Right parts and followed instructional video job completed in < 40 minutes. Your company made it easy. Here I thought I would need hire someone when my torsion spring broke you proved me wrong.
“I just wanted you guys to know that I received my torsion spring and completed the install. The actual installation took less that 30 minutes!I told several people that I planned on installing a garage door torsion spring after mine broke. ALL of them told me that it was too dangerous and a few feared for my life! Honestly it was one of the simplest home repairs I have ever done. That is thanks in large part to your very helpful installation video. Your videos on measuring springs etc. were also very helpful. All of the necessary details are there. I just wanted to say thank you for the great products and excellent videos.”
“I wanted to thank you for the overall great customer service Garage Door Nation recently provided me regarding a broken torsion spring on my 7’x16 garage door. Having heard the horror stories associated with DIY torsion spring replacements, I was concerned about my ability to tackle my garage door repair on my own. However, the expert videos on how to properly measure and order parts as well as the “how to” on the actual replacement made the project simple and straight forward. Additionally, I received my parts in three business days which allowed me to complete the repair ahead of schedule.”
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