Garage Door Spring Repair Cost – What Consumers Need to Know

The subsequent posting: Garage Door Spring Repair Cost – What Consumers Need to Know was first found on http://discountdoorservice.com

Do you need a new garage door spring? If so, you may be wondering how much it will cost.

The truth is that there are many factors to consider when determining the price of your garage door spring replacement. This article will help you understand why you may not want to simply look for the price of a spring replacement someplace like Amazon without taking everything into account.

If you want to jump to what a garage door spring replacement typically costs, without reading all the useful information we carefully put together for you here... we understand. Just click here.

And if you need a garage door spring replaced in Tucson or surrounding areas, just give us a call and we'll be glad to send one of our technicians out to you as soon as possible.

How do I know if the garage door springs are defective?

In most cases if your garage door won't open, or opens part of the way then shuts, one of the torsion springs has broken.

First and foremost, you have to make sure that the springs on your garage doors are actually broken. There are other issues that may cause your garage door to not work properly. Sometimes it's even possible that an adjustment to your garage door spring can help make your door work better, without actually needing to replace your garage door spring.

Secondly, if your garage door spring is indeed broken, there are several types of spring systems that are used on garage doors (the most common being torsion springs, but there are also extension springs and TorqueMaster "internal spring systems")--what you have and what you want to put in place will have an impact on the price.

And finally, because this isn't something that you want to tackle yourself (because garage door springs can be very dangerous to work with), when asking about garage door spring repair costs, you need to factor in more than just the cost of an actual spring.

Keep in mind things like how quickly you can get your spring repaired, and making sure you have the right spring for your specific garage door are important so you can get the longest life out of it.

Hiring a qualified garage door repair tech to make sure all the other critical parts of your garage door are in safe working order is important, too. For example you don't want to have frayed garage door cables or worn out center bearings or broken rollers, as they will certainly lead to problems in the future.

When you consider the fact that your garage door is probably the hardest working and most important door in your home, cutting corners on something as vital as the spring that keeps it working properly and safely is never a good idea.

How will I know if my garage door spring breaks?

It's important to recognize when you have a broken garage door spring. Many people aren't even aware that their garage door uses springs as the 'muscle' to open and close the door, day in and day out, year after year. Understand that the garage door opener / motor simply moves the door up and down under control--it is the highly tensioned springs that do all the heavy lifting.

If your garage door is not opening or closing correctly (or if it's not opening at all), you probably have a problem with the spring that needs attention as soon as possible.

The Basics of How Garage Doors Open and Close

Because of its' name, many people naturally think that a "garage door opener" is responsible for opening your garage door. What they don't realize is that garage doors are heavy, and the motor on an opener could never do its job without the help of the torsion springs. If you've ever manually opened or closed a garage door with proper springs, you'll see that it is almost weightless and effortless to move, because the springs are doing all the work. Try again with the same door with broken springs... and you'll experience something very different!

A common torsion spring found on our service trucks

A garage door is pulled open by the torsion springs and pushed closed by gravity. The door's weight, however, is not enough to overcome the force created by the coiled spring as it resists movement.

Hence why a broken garage door spring will have you frustratedly putting your foot in front of one end of the track while pulling with all your might on the other side... or worse yet, needing help from someone else just to get the door open at all.

The Correct Garage Door Springs Will Give You a Balanced Door

The basics of garage door springs are just that - basic. They are tightly wound coils of steel that provide the counterbalance for your garage door. When they are broken or out of balance, it can cause all sorts of havoc with opening and closing the door.

Garage door torsion springs are the main component of a garage door (depending on the size and weight of the door, you may only have a single garage door spring, while other garage doors need 2 or more).

These torsion springs provide the tension necessary to lift the heavy weight and roll the door up into its storage position. Tension in a torsion spring can be lost over time, which means that it will need to be replaced periodically. The typical life expectancy of a torsion spring can range from 7 years to as long as 20 years or more before they eventually break, depending on a variety of things such as how much it is used, weather conditions, and whether it was the appropriate spring for the job when it was installed.

But not every garage door torsion spring is equal. Just like there are options when choosing a garage door - from size to materials used, whether the door is insulated or not or if it has glass windows or not - there is no "one size fits all" approach to garage springs either. Each door must have it's proper springs in order to work properly.

When you hire qualified garage door contractors for replacing garage door springs, they will take all of these factors into consideration and make sure to select the correct spring (or springs) to give you a balanced door.

What is a balanced garage door?

A properly balanced garage door should allow you to manually open and close it easily. If left in the "half way open and half way closed" position, the door should stay in position without swinging open or closed on its own.

New Garage Door Springs Will Keep Your Garage Door Safe as Well

A properly balanced garage door should not have to be pulled very hard in order to open, even though it weighs a lot. And when closing, gravity will do its job and pull the door down when you let go. But it will do so in a controlled manner - it shouldn't come crashing to the ground.

Can you fix a broken garage door spring?

A broken residential garage door spring needs to be replaced. Springs are made to bear an immense amount of tension, and like any mechanical object, they will eventually weaken with time. When they break and we talk of a 'repair', we are talking about replacing the spring (or springs), and returning the door to normal operation.

Few homeowners are skilled in the intricacies of a garage door repair, especially when dealing with springs, and rightly so. If you don't know what you're doing, please contact a professional who is experienced in handling garage door springs.

What kind of garage door springs do you need?

There are two basic types of spring systems used to open a garage door; torsion springs and extension springs, with torsion springs being far more common. Among the torsion spring family, there are two variations to be aware of; the more standard, coiled torsion spring that you can see exposed above the top of your garage door, and the TorqueMaster.

What is a torsion spring?

With torsion springs, this pressure is created by the springs being tightly coiled and compressed, usually by a metal cable drum that tightens the spring as the door is lowered.

A garage door has one to four springs. The number of springs depends on the size, weight, and strength of the door. These springs are on a metal shaft above the door. Aluminum drums are put on either side of a metal shaft. Springs are wound and set using a winding bar. On a standard residential garage door, a spring will be wound 30 "quarter turns" to get the right tension.

Standard torsion springs are generally the best choice for residential garage doors, but do not usually last for more than 15 years.

When replacing springs in old garage doors with worn out or damaged springs, it is important to ensure that you have all of the necessary tools and experience to avoid serious injury.

For residential garage door spring replacement, the most common spring types are torsion springs.

What is a TorqueMaster Spring?

The TorqueMaster is a special system that keep the springs inside of steel tube. The springs are inside the metal tube and are held in place by a winding cone that sits at the end of each torsion rods.. This is said ("marketed" as) better because it won't collect dirt and grime.

The downside is that, as a proprietary system, not every garage door repair company will have the selection of options on their truck to meet the needs of every door.

The advantage of a traditional torsion spring is that a garage door company will know the most common sizes used and stock them on their service trucks. These various sizes can be mixed-and-matched to meet the requirements of nearly any door. This means repairs can be completed in a single, initial visit most of the time, rather than needing to send the service techs back to the warehouse to get the specific TorqueMaster needed.

This is not only more convenient, but as you can imagine, it will cost less when the garage door service technician can replace your broken spring in a single visit. It will also save you money in the long run the next time you have a broken spring, because you'll be replacing just springs, whether it's one or two springs, not the entire mechanism.

If you have a broken TorqueMaster and like the idea of a traditional garage door torsion spring system, ask about torsion spring conversion kits.

What is an extension spring?

The other kind of garage door springs that some people have are called extension springs. With extension springs, the pressure is created when the springs, which run parallel to the overhead tracks, are stretched out when the door is lowered.

Extension springs are less common than torsion springs because they require more clearance space for installation . Extension springs are made up of long metal coils wrapped tightly together with one end attached to a drum inside the opener and another attached to a bracket mounted on the back edge of the top panel near where it meets the header above your garage ceiling. Extension springs have been replaced by newer technology like chain systems but still work well for some doors with lighter weight loads.

So... How much does it cost to replace spring on garage door?

If you have the work done by professionals, national figures compiled by trade organizations show an average cost of torsion spring replacement of about $250, within a range of $150 to $350.  When you get a price quote, make sure that you ask for the "complete price". Some companies may try to tack on some extra fees such as a fuel surcharge, or a disposal fee for your old springs.  Discount Door Service never does that.

Two torsion springs will always cost more than one spring. But if you have two and only one is broken, you should always replace both at the same time.

In fact, it can be both dangerous and nearly impossible to get a door properly balanced by having one new spring while the other spring is one of the pre existing springs. Plus, if one spring broke, the other probably isn't too far behind, so you'll be saving on labor costs by having them both replaced at the same time, rather than needing to request a second trip in the near future.

Reputable garage door contractors won't allow you to only replace a single garage door spring for a variety of reasons. So don't feel like they're trying to upsell you on the second spring.. they're actually looking out for you.

One caveat to that though - we're talking about two springs on the same same door, not two different garage doors. If you have more than one garage door, each with its own set of springs, they can be changed independently. You just never want two springs on the same door to be of different ages. Doing that will reduce the life expectancy of your new spring by a lot.

"If I need to replace a garage door spring, is hiring a Pro worth it?"

Garage door spring repair is probably the most common kind of garage door repair. These springs break way more readily than an automatic garage door opener, for example.

And while a broken spring is a common thing for technicians to see in the field and is quite quick and easy for them to take care of, some people mistakenly think that this would be a simple home improvement project for them to tackle themselves.

While you might well be able to replace garage door springs yourself in a weekend for $50 to $100 (if you have the right tools, like a proper winding bar and impact wrench, among others), it's not necessarily as simple and straight-forward as it might appear.

In fact, you may decide that the convenience and confidence that comes from having a pro do the work in a fraction of the time (while ensuring you don't suffer a serious injury while doing the work in the event a spring breaks on you, and that no one else will be hurt due to an amateur mistake), is well worth the extra cost.

How long do garage door springs last?

Do you know how long your garage door springs should last? It's a question that we get asked often, and the answer is not an easy one to give. The lifespan of these springs can vary greatly based on climate, frequency of use and other factors. However, if you are at all concerned about your spring's health or just want to make sure it will be in good condition for years to come then consider having them inspected by a professional once every year or two.

We offer inspections with no obligation so there is nothing to lose! Give us call today and we'll send someone out right away!

How long will torsion springs last?

Studies have shown that extension springs are normally good for around 10,000 cycles whereas torsion springs may last up to 15,000 or even 20,000 cycles before they need to be replaced.

In our experience of maintaining and replacing garage door springs, good quality springs can be expected to last for around 7-12 years or so before they will need replacing.

Reducing Your Project Cost

For those that really want to do garage door repairs themselves to reduce the overall project cost, there are other parts of the door that might be better addressed by a non-professional (and you can still feel good about saving some money on labor costs by doing it yourself!)

Some of the more common garage door repairs you might consider rather than trying to tackle garage door spring replacement could be:

Rollers

Rollers work in tandem with springs to provide the smooth application of force needed to lift a heavy object, like a garage door, up and down

Bottom seal

The bottom seal on your garage door keeps dust from coming in through the cracks between your floor and the door opening. It also prevents water from coming in when rain falls on your driveway, because the seal blocks any moisture seeping down to where your home's foundation meets with earth below. Finally, this part of an insulated garage door helps keep cold air from leaking out

Weather stripping

Weather stripping helps seal the gap between your garage door and the frame. If you notice a draft coming from around your garage door, it’s probably because of lack of weather sealing. A lot of homeowners make this mistake but don't realize that it could be costing them money on their heating bill.

Tracks

The tracks are called "roller tracks" which run along the top of both side panels that make up your doors. These roller-tracks function as guides for two sets of wheels: one set on each panel, and also work as part of the system responsible for lifting and lowering your doors when opening or closing them - so if they're bent or broken, it's likely that your door will be difficult to open or close. Sometimes, if a track has been bent out of shape, you can carefully bend them back to a useful position yourself.

Hinges

The hinges on a garage door don't last forever either. Over time, the metal will wear out and break. Hinges that have broken should be replaced as soon as possible as they can no longer support weight of the door and may not close properly. The process of replacing the hinge can be relatively easy, but depending on the condition of the door (and the door's material), it can require some specialized skill to get it properly secured.