5 Signs That You’re Dealing With a Broken Garage Door Spring

Why would the opening of a garage door draw 25 million views on YouTube? Halloween dressing up enthusiast, Amanda Destro Pierson, created a monster mouth on her garage door. No garage door opening ever gave so many people something to smile about.

Is your garage door causing you to frown? If your garage door only lifts about 6 inches before it stops perhaps you have a broken garage door spring.

Read on to learn about this and other signs that your garage door spring is broken.

1. Garage Door Won’t Fully Open

If your garage door opens slightly but then stops you’ve probably got a broken spring. The garage door has a fail-safe device that stops the door if it is taking too much force to open it. Under normal circumstances, this is a great safety feature.

When your garage door spring is broken the force needed to open the door is too much for the safety sensor. This activates the braking mechanism and the door stops opening. 

2. Closing Fast

If you activate the door closure and it crashes to the floor there’s something wrong with the spring. Unlike the previous problem with the door opener, this problem is caused by a malfunction in closing. The broken spring means the door is excessively heavy and so the mechanism cannot hold it.

3. Loud Noises

Any loud noises from your garage door are a sign of problems. You need to investigate the garage door springs.

If a garage door spring snaps you will hear a very loud crack. This can happen even when the door is not being operated.

Noises can also indicate that the springs are wearing out. Groaning or screeching noises every time you operate your door, whether opening or closing it, suggests spring problems.

4. Crooked Door

If one of the extension springs breaks it can cause the garage door to twist when it opens. The two extension springs are fitted to each side of your door. When one breaks, only the unbroken spring is pulling on the door making it open crookedly.

5. Stretched Spring

A physical check of your garage door springs can be revealing.

If there are any gaps in the springs this may indicate that the spring is broken. The torsion spring lies parallel to the floor. If it breaks there can be a large gap between the two points where the ends are attached.

If the spring has failed to coil back correctly it may be damaged or failing. Even rust or small gaps could be a sign of an impending failure. It’s time for a garage door service.

Broken Garage Door Spring Action Plan

Once you have identified a problem with a garage door spring it’s time to consult the experts. Have a professional check out the broken garage door spring. They can carry out a simple repair and make it as good as new.

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