What is a Spring Repair?
Garage doors are the most frequently opened and closed door in many American homes. Since many people use garage door openers to automate this process, it can be easy to forget that garage doors, like any other machinery, has parts that break over time. Springs are both the most likely and the most bothersome to start your day with. But before talking about how to fix it, what causes a spring to break?
Why does a spring break?
Your garage door most likely weighs nearly 100-220lbs. Springs attach to your door, so you don’t have to start off your day by deadlifting all that weight. But since springs are made of metal, as they wind and unwind repeatedly, it begins to cause stress on the spring.
If you think of a coat hanger, when you bend it back and forth a lot, it’s going to break. A spring lasts for a certain number of “cycles” - or times opened/closed. Many springs are rated for nearly 10k cycles, but if your door is your main entrance to your home, it might be worth looking into high-cycle springs.
Because springs wind and unwind repeatedly, one main reason they break is friction. If you begin to see rust or hear a lot of noise when operating the door, that’s a good indicator the spring needs some maintenance so it can last longer. So what can you do?
How to make your spring last longer
The best way to keep your springs lasting a long time is to oil them once every four to six months with conventional motor oil. Often, you can hear a difference after lubricating your springs. However, after a while, your springs will break. Buckeye Door Sales has your back, so you can get back to your life quickly.
Do you need a spring repair?
Whether your door has one or two springs broken, we suggest replacing both springs at the same time. A door with two springs might work briefly with one, but both springs are rated for the same use, so when one breaks the other will break soon. Replacing both springs together will keep your door working better and will be more economical for you. How so?
Service calls include a trip charge and a flat rate for labor and parts. When we replace both springs on the same visit, you only get charged for one trip, and a discounted amount for two springs. But if you wait to replace the other spring until it breaks, you pay for two trip charges and the full price of two spring repairs.
At Buckeye Door Sales, our goal is to make caring for your home simple and accessible. If you have any questions, or if you’d like to schedule us to come out for a service call, give us a call, or fill out our contact sheet. We hope to hear from you soon!