If you’ve recently encountered problems operating your garage door, it may have a problem with its springs. The garage door springs are essential for lifting and closing the door effectively. When one or both of them are damaged, then your door won’t be able to operate as it should.
If you think something has happened to your garage door springs, it’s important to know the signs and symptoms that can confirm your hunch. A garage door with broken springs can also be dangerous, which makes it all the more essential for you to understand the ins and outs of broken springs.
How to Identify a Broken Spring
There are a variety of ways to identify a broken spring. The key is to proceed cautiously so that you can protect yourself and others in your home from harm. Be on the lookout for these warning signs of a garage door spring break.
1. Your Garage Is Struggling to Open
A broken spring means your garage door has lost a central part of its operations — when you try to open it, the door will likely struggle to work. If the door is opening crookedly or not opening at all, it’s likely that there’s something wrong with the springs.
2. Your Door Closes Too Fast
When working properly, garage door springs release tension slowly as the door closes to prevent it from banging into the ground. When the springs are broken, there is nothing to keep the door from shutting rapidly. When you close your garage door and see it close very fast and with a bang, then you probably have a broken spring.
3. Loud Snapping or Cracking Noises
Sometimes you may actually be able to hear a garage door spring break — these are characterized by loud cracking or snapping noises. When you hear one of these noises emanate from your garage, there is a good chance it was caused by a snapping spring.
4. Noisy Operations
Along with struggling to open, a garage door with broken springs will also likely have very loud operations. Instead of the smooth, measured opening and closing of a properly-functioning door, it will produce crooked operations and banging, grinding or screeching noises.
5. Weathered Springs
You can also take a look at the springs to see if they’re damaged. Sometimes the springs may actually still be intact, but they’ve become so rusted and weathered that they can no longer do their job.
How to Fix a Broken Garage Door Spring
While it may be tempting to try to fix a garage door spring yourself, it’s best to leave that job up to a garage door professional. Broken springs are under enormous amounts of pressure, and they can cause injury or damage to objects in your garage. Be sure to err on the side of caution and contact a service you can trust for help.
Contact EXL Garage Doors
If you need garage door service for torsion springs or extension springs in the Gallatin or Nashville, Tennessee, area, then EXL Garage Doors has you covered. With over 20 years of experience and a commitment to our customers, we’re the professional garage door company you can trust. Contact us today!