Your garage door springs carry the entire weight of the door — often 150 pounds or more — every single time it opens and closes. When they fail, the door can slam shut without warning. Here's what to watch for.
The Warning Signs
- A loud bang from the garage. A snapping torsion spring sounds like a firecracker. If you heard one, don't operate the door.
- The door feels heavy. If lifting the door manually is suddenly a workout, the springs are losing tension.
- Visible gaps in the spring coil. A gap of 1-2 inches means the spring has already broken.
- The door opens a few inches, then stops. Modern openers detect excess weight and stop for safety.
- Crooked or jerky movement. One broken spring on a two-spring system makes the door lift unevenly.
- Rust on the coils. Rust adds friction and shortens spring life dramatically.
- Age. Standard springs last around 10,000 cycles — roughly 7-10 years for most families.
Never Replace Springs Yourself
Torsion springs are under extreme tension and cause thousands of injuries each year. If you spot any of these signs in the St. Louis area, give Straight Up Garage Doors a call at (314) 788-1106 — spring replacement is one of our most common same-day repairs, and every job is backed by our one-year parts and labor warranty.