If you ever owned a garage, most likely you already experienced some malfunctions on your garage door. There are factors why your garage door is misaligned – one common reason it becomes unbalanced is an issue in your spring system.
Adjusting your garage door springs is critical because it can pose safety hazards. When it begins to fail to open and close perfectly, surely, there is an underlying issue you need to closely monitor.
Today, we’ll discuss the importance of adjusting your garage door springs and how to do it safely and correctly.
Understanding Your Garage Door Springs
Garage door springs are what help open and close your garage door. These can be found in both a manual garage door and an automatic garage door system.
The main purpose of garage door springs is to counterbalance the weight of your garage door by providing force when you open or close it.
Unfortunately, since homeowners typically open and close their garage door at least 3 to 5x per day, it causes wear and tear to these springs. When one of these springs becomes loose, the tendency is an unevenly closed or open garage door or a slamming one.
Types of Door Springs
There are two main types of garage door springs, a torsion spring and an extension spring. Both springs are used in the installation and operation of a garage door.
Here’s an overview of these two:
Torsion Springs
Torsion springs as its name suggests, use torque to perform its function. Torque is a twisting force that causes rotation. Basically, when there is a force to open or close the garage door, the spring twists and coils on the shaft. This kind of spring is made to be sturdy and is also the most common type of spring available.
With fewer exposed parts, torsion springs can be generally, safer. Performance-wise, they also last longer. However, its qualities reciprocate the price. Initially, you will need to shell out a bigger investment for torsion springs.
Extension Springs
Normally found in the upper, horizontal tracks of each side of the garage door are extension springs. Unlike torsion springs, extension springs function by extending as garage doors open or close, creating counterbalancing support.
Most residential garage doors use extension springs because they are less expensive. Builders prefer using them to bring down costs while still, it serves their purpose – functional and cost-effective springs. While it costs less, it also wears faster because of its extending mechanism and has a shorter lifespan.
Safety measures should be taken when installing or adjusting these springs because of the amount of force on them. Usually, extension springs are paired with a safety cable. This cable protects homeowners like you from possible serious injuries that can be caused due to a malfunction. This cable also protects you from a cable or bracket failure.
When to Adjust Garage Door Springs
There will be several signs that indicate a needed adjustment for door springs. These are what you should look out for:
Uneven Movement – if you notice any uneven movements like hesitating or jerking when your door opens or closes, it can indicate that your springs need an adjustment. When springs are unbalanced, one side may be heavier than the other, which causes the movement to be uneven.
Difficulty in Operation – of course, you know how smoothly your door operates. When it seems to close or open harder, it’s a sign you need to make an adjustment.
Unusual Noises – if you hear any loud creaking, banging, or rumbling noises, your springs probably need a tension adjustment. Loose or broken springs tend to cause these kinds of noises.
Visible Misalignment – this occurrence is rare and doesn’t usually happen, but too much tension from your springs may push your door out of track. When it does, we recommend calling the experts as this kind of adjustment can be too dangerous for non-professionals. This kind of adjustment may also be too difficult for an average homeowner. Call us if you need help with garage door spring repair.
Safety Precautions
Before doing any kind of home repair or “quick fix” safety precautions should be on top of the list. You should always consider your safety when adjusting garage door springs on a garage door even if the task looks fairly simple.
Remember, when you choose to do a DIY fix for garage door springs, it has the potential to cause serious injury if done incorrectly. Garage door springs hold enormous force and this should be controlled at all times.
If in any way, you think you lack the experience and expertise to do this on your own, don’t hesitate to call for help. Our garage door repair in Los Angeles is available 24/7 for emergency spring repairs.
Common Reasons Why Garage Door Springs Break
As we mentioned, garage door springs are prone to wear and tear because of the frequency of homeowners’ use. With this, at a certain point, adjustments and “fixes” won’t be the solution anymore and a replacement will likely be needed.
Some common reasons why these springs break are:
- Wear and tear – it takes about 10,000 to 20,000 cycles for a torsion spring to become completely worn out. It may sound like a lot but in reality, if you use it quite very often a regular basis, it could last about 6 to 10 years before needing a replacement.
- Rust or corrosion – these heavy-duty springs are made from metal – rusting will slowly eat it away when exposed to too much moisture or corrosive chemicals. Rust will weaken the metal at a slow pace as it causes unnecessary friction between the coils.
- Poor maintenance – every part of your garage door should have a maintenance schedule. The failure to clean and lubricate your springs can cost you money with a hefty bill for a replacement. Poor maintenance always leads to a quicker lifespan.
- Overloading – there’s a certain weight limit to your springs and it’s set for a reason – the most common is for safety precautions. When you disregard this limit by putting heavier pressure on it, there’s a tendency for the springs to break. Making it a safety hazard for the homeowners.
- Substandard materials – the use of poor-quality materials increases the risk of breakage. When you need a reliable provider and installer of garage doors, Rock Garage Door Repair provides services for all kinds of door types and brands.
- Incorrect installation – when your springs are installed too tightly, it puts an excessive amount of strain on the metal coil. This will eventually cause it to break. Also, improper installation of springs can lead to physical damage to your garage door structure.
Tools Needed for Adjusting Garage Door Springs
Before going ahead, it’s important to make sure you have all the necessary tools that you need to adjust your garage door springs.
Here are the tools needed for garage door spring adjustment:
- Gloves
- Safety glasses
- Hard hat
- Vice grips
- A pair of winding bars
- Wrench
- Hammer
- Step stool or ladder
Here’s the Step-by-Step Garage Door Springs Repair Guide:
Since there are mainly two types of door springs, we will discuss each one separately for a clearer understanding. We’ll make this tutorial for garage door spring adjustment a complete guide for your convenience.
Assess the Problem
As soon as you notice signs of a problem in your garage door functionality, the first step is to assess the problem. It’s important to determine the specific type of spring you are working on and the repair it needs:
- Increase tension when your garage door is hard to open or closes too quickly than it should.
- Decrease tension when your garage door isn’t fully closing, difficult to close, or opens too quickly.
- Adjusting the tension on one side when your door closes unevenly.
Adjusting Torsion Springs on a Garage Door
- When dealing with torsion springs, it is mandatory to leave the garage door closed. If you have an automatic garage door, make sure the opener is unplugged. Otherwise, you might incur an injury.
- Make sure your garage is well-lit and clear. Steer away from shelving appliances or tools that can get in the way. Also, inform your family or household members that you will be doing fixes in the garage.
- To prevent any accidents, use locking pliers on the garage door track just above the bottom roller to secure the door.
- Identify the winding cone attached to the torsion spring. This is usually placed at the spring’s end.
- Loosen the set screws by inserting a winding bar into the bottom hole of the winding cone. Check for any depressed areas on the shaft and make sure you return the screws to the same flats where you got them.
- Get ready to adjust the tension by inserting the winding bars into two consecutive holes on the winding cone. The next step talks about how to tighten garage door springs.
- To increase tension, twist the spring in a clockwise direction one-quarter turn, place the second bar into the next hole, and repeat the process.
- To decrease tension, follow step #7 but do it in a counter-clockwise turn.
Cables on each side of your garage door are designed in a specific length so no adjustments would be necessary. If there is damage to your cable, it should be replaced immediately.
Adjusting Extension Springs
Not like adjusting torsion springs, when you adjust wall-mounted (extension) springs, you are also adjusting the cable simultaneously.
- For side-mounted springs, your garage door should be raised as far as it can.
- The first way to increase or decrease the tension on the spring is to simply relocate the S hook at the end of the spring and move it into another hole in the track.
- Moving the hook closer to the door increases tension and moving it farther decreases the tension.
- The second way to adjust the tension is by tightening the nut on the eye bolt. This is located at the vertical brace attached to the ceiling track.
- Turn the nut clockwise to increase the tension and counter-clockwise to decrease the tension.
Troubleshooting Common Issues After the Adjustment
To troubleshoot for issues, first, remove all the clamps and pliers you set in place earlier. Test your garage door performance by doing an opening and closing cycle. If you think the adjustment issue has been resolved, you may continue to reconnect the door opener system.
Otherwise, make the necessary adjustments again by repeating the steps above and retesting the function. Once you’re content with the results, attach the door opener system in place.
Don’t forget to lubricate the springs, hinges, and metal rollers regularly for at least twice a year to maintain a smooth operation.
When to Call the Professionals
Adjusting garage door springs, as you can tell by now, requires precision and safety precautions. Since your safety is a priority, we highly recommend seeking professional help instead of going through such hassles.
This level of door repair and maintenance is clearly not for every homeowner. Handling complex garage door issues should be left to the experts like our technicians at Rock Garage Door Repair Company.
Whether you need a repair or a garage door spring replacement, our team is ready to take on the task at any time!
Choosing a Garage Door Repair Company
The importance of your garage door extends from being a shelter for your car to your whole house’s safety. It’s the largest entry point in your home and having issues with it may pose risks to you and your family’s safety. For your peace of mind, have the necessary repairs done immediately.
When choosing a garage door repair company, you should primarily look at two most important things:
Good Customer Support
You need a service provider that understands your immediate needs regarding garage door installation, repair, or replacement. Our team will readily answer any questions you may have as well as give you a no-obligation quote for free.
Emergency Availability
You can’t say when your garage door will malfunction. It can be at any time of the day or night. That’s why we offer 24/7 emergency spring replacements and garage door spring tension adjustments.
We’re just one call away for your garage door fix. Get in touch with us today!
