Garage Door Torsion Springs - Safe To Do Yourself?
If you want to install garage torsion springs, you’ll need information to be able to do it safely. These springs could be an important part of your garage door, depending on what kind of garage door you have. Learn more about garage door torsion springs and also about extension springs and decide if you really should you be adjusting these yourself.
What is garage door torsion springs?
A torsion spring, commonly used for roller garage doors either for manual opening and closing or as a part of automatic garage door openers can get broken or lose their tension and make it difficult for you to open and close the door. Adjusting and / or replacing them may be necessary but again, it can be dangerous due to it being done manually. Special tools are required and even then, it’s still dangerous. Some companies, such as Clopay offer an option that is removed with a drill --- which is much safer than the manual methods that are used.
Torsion springs are used in a variety of purposes. Torsion refers to twisting. When you look at this type of spring, you’ll see that it looks like a tightly wound spiral. It is used in various things, such as mouse traps, used in automobiles, as part of a catapult, and more. If you imagine a catapult using this to propel items a far distance, it gives you an idea of the potential power. Look at the size of this type of spring above your garage and you can see why it’s potentially dangerous.
In terms of a garage door, torsion springs are massive but can wear down after several years of regular use. Most will be advised to hire a professional to replace them.
What’s an Extension Spring?
Extension springs generally sit along the sides of the garage doors whereas the torsion spring generally sits above the door’s opening.
Keeping your garage door in good working order should involve regular repair and inspection.
Here are some garage door maintenance tips:
• If you notice a problem, get it repaired as soon as possible so that you prevent a more serious repair need or a safety concern.
• Check your tracks. If they start to curl, this impacts the ability to open and close the door.
• Lubricate all manual garage door parts, particularly tracks, cables, and
mechanisms that allow the door to be opened and closed. A good lubricant, such as WD-40 will help keep things sliding smoothly.
• Keep the door clean. A cleaner door will open and close easier. Debris getting stuck in the track, etc. could slow things down and cause hardware to rust.
• Check your seals. If you have gaps in your seals, replace them ASAP.
• Check your garage door opener, if you have one. It may be the opener that needs replacing rather than individual parts that work manually (such as springs or tracks)
• Check everything out regularly to see what areas seem to look worn. An annual or semi-annual inspection is a wise idea.
Whether you need to replace the extension springs or the garage door torsion springs, it may be safer to pay the money to have someone do the job for you, especially with the latter spring.
