When it comes to the safety and performance of your garage door, much depends on the garage door springs. The springs play a major role and is one of the first components to wear down. The springs undertake much of the load and weight of the garage door. If the springs break it can be a major safety concern and you can lose access to the garage. Elite Garage Door Repair of Henderson will share why the garage door springs are so important and what signs to watch for to know if they need to be replaced.
How Long Do Garage Door Springs Last Before They Break?
There are a few types of springs used on residential garage doors. The most common is the torsion spring. All springs do wear out eventually, how long varies. The average garage door spring lasts around 10,000 cycles. A complete cycle is when a garage door is opened and closed. How often do you use your garage door? Each person will vary on how often they open and close their garage door. Some people use the door a few times a week while others one or twice a day if not more. The average homeowner often needs their garage door springs replaced about every nine years with daily use while the least frequent use easily lasts 15 years. It is important to know when to have the springs replaced and what to look for.
What Wears Down Garage Door Springs?
Some springs can wear down faster depending on a number of different factors. The first major cause is simply wear and tear from use. Rust and corrosion can help wear down the springs faster. Therefore it is important to have regular maintenance to prevent rust from occurring. As a homeowner you can also help protect your springs from rust simply by applying WD40 about twice a year. Another major problem is when a garage door was installed with an oversized spring. This will occasionally happen especially when a builder is trying to cut corners. Some think because a spring is oversized, it is adequate. This isn’t true. The single spring is taking the load in the place of two springs. It is important that the springs are installed to the weight and size of the garage door.
Signs of Broken Garage Door Spring
As a spring begins to fail or wear down, it will begin to give you a few signs. First you may notice a loud squeaking noise. If it is confirmed that it is the spring making the squeaking noise, manually open the garage door by using the emergency release which is a red cord that hangs from the release bar. Sometimes the squeaking is the motor. Manually opening the door can help you determine if it is the springs. Another sign to watch for is sagging. The garage door may sag more on one side than the other when the garage door is suspended. If the springs break completely, the entire garage door will come crashing down. This is why it is important to replace the springs.
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If the garage door springs appear to be failing, make sure to have them replaced immediately and avoid using the garage door until it is fixed to prevent serious damage or injury. For quality garage door services contact Elite Garage Door Repair of Henderson today.