Garage Door Springs

Garage Door Springs questions and answers

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Q: How much should it cost to have garage door springs replaced?
I have a 2 car garage door that is heavy to open by hand and am suspicious that the springs are going. So I am looking into having them checked. Thanks in advance. OK thanks everyone for your input, found someone to adjust it for $99 (Chicago market)

A: it sounds to me that its more of an adjustment........$35 to $50 ...adjust ......$100 to$135 to replace and adjust

Q: How do you replace garage door springs?
I need to replace the springs above my garage door. I just need to know how to adjust the springs after I replace them.

A: Here is how to do it but be very careful it is dangerous. http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infgar/infgar1b.html

Q: How to open garage door after one of two springs breaks?
My garage door spring broke this evening and am wanting to know how to open the garage door without the whole thing falling off the rails. It is a two spring two pulley system attached to a garage door opener.

A: Un plug your door opener from the outlet If i understand your springs set up one side of your door will be up and the other on the floor if this your door ok if this is a one car door Get a buddy and two pair of vice grips and you on one side and your buddy on the other side Disengage the operator from the door and very slowly raise the door keeping the door level when you get door up as far as you want lock the vice grips under the bottom roller so the door want fall down if your are at this point go to the store and take the spring with you and replace it if you have a two car door call the repairman good luck

Q: Whats the easiest way to replace garage door springs ?
One of my springs broke and I need to replace and retension both of them. What is the easiest way to tension the springs? I do have a garage door opener. I also need to replace the cables. Any garage door experience here? Thanks

A: It is a very dangerous job if you do not know what you are doing. Having watched a guy replace them once on the job I would highly recommend you go watch someone do it afore you attempt doing it yourself.

Q: Garage door springs- Is it HOA's responsibility or homeowner to replace a broken one?
We rent a condo in a complex that has a homeowner's association. Our garage, that we share with our neighbor, has a garage door spring that broke. (The garage goes up partway and stops) HOA claims it is the homeowner's reponsibility to fix. Is this really the case since we share the garage with our neighbor?

A: I would think it would be the HOA's. Seems reasonable since a garage door spring is not technically a normal wear-and-tear type of item...but if it's in the rental terms that you're responsible for minor maintenance...then it my be hard to pursue. That's tricky. If I were a judge, I'd say their responsibility. Best of luck.

Q: Can I retrofit a garage door with springs that go up ("pivot" door, I think)?
I have an old garage door with springs that go up. I've been told that I can't replace the springs but have to retrofit it at a cost of almost $400 with new springs that go down. Is there any way around this?

A: Well here's the deal - it is true that pivot doors, or "kick-out" as we call them, are getting harder and harder to find parts for as they are an out-dated product. There are still a few suppliers around, however, that have parts for them. That being said, the problem is the cost of the parts since they are becoming scarce. It has been our experience that once a homeowner pays for the parts and the labor needed to install them he/she could have purchased a brand new sectional door for nearly the same cost. As you have already discovered, the cost to fully repair such a door is nearly as much as a new door - that may be an option to consider. One final note - I am not aware of any springs that can be safely and/or appropriately used on a kick-out door other than those which are intended for kick-out doors. The springs must be identical in length, diameter and wire size to work properly. Once again, we usually advise our customers to replace worn out kick-out doors because at the end of the day you will have spent about the same money and still have an old and out-dated product. Hope this helps!

Q: I have heard of garage door springs doing damage when they break, what would they do if they hit a person?
Someone told me they were in their home when a spring broke and they thought that someone had fired a gun into the house.

A: they would deffinatly kill a person. they would literally slice right through you

Q: Garage door springs?
I have a 16 x 7 wood garage door, two springs on one side, two on the other. One of the left side springs broke, which leaves one intact. Can I replace just the spring that broke? Or, must the left side be replaced as a complete set?

A: Don't do it yourself. The spring torque can be really dangerous.

Q: Cost of replacing springs on my garage door?
What is the approximate cost of replacing both springs on my garage door? I'm looking for parts and labor. I'm just trying to get an idea of what this is going to cost me. I live in Tucson, AZ.

A: If you have the spring that are about 2" diameter and extend with the door $25-50 parts and $100 labor, ( moderately handy, could do this yourself...) If you have the large spring above the door that twists, 100-150 parts, 300 labor, and don't even think of doing this yourself....

Q: Should we replace the torsion springs on our garage door open if they are deformed but not broken?
We just bought a new house and the hosue inspector said the springs should be replaced on the garage door. They have not broken, but they form into a spiral which he says means they are worn and are soon to break. Everywhere I look online however says to just wait for them to break? is there any value in replacing them now or should I just wait for them to break? Thanks!

A: mike is right. the spring is just stretched out a little it will not hurt it.

Q: How do you replace garage door extension springs?


A: This is not a really hard task but you do have to be handy with tools. Here is a very interesting web page a friend of mine put up. He describes it step by step. http://www.truetex.com/garage.htm CAUTION: This can a very dangerous and deadly task if not done properly. Please make sure you fully understand the entire process and personal liability involved before taking on this project. If you don't feel 100% confident in the repairs, please contact a professional to do it for you.

Q: How much does it cost to replace garage door torsion springs? Can I do it myself?


A: Not a good idea to replace that yourself. Too much opportunity to hurt yourself. Especially when you are dealing with a large metal spring under tension. When I had them replaced on my house, the cost was only like $50 + parts. So not bad at all.

Q: how do you adjust the springs on garage doors?
would like to replace a broken garage door spring is this something i can do?

A: I'll give you a scenario... would you feel comfortable taking the garbage disposal out of your sink and putting in a new one? If you do then you might go ahead and give it a shot. Without knowing your mechanical apptitude though. I would tend to play it safe and tell you to find a local overhead door repairman to do the replacement. It might cost you $50-100.00 but better the money than a broken arm or worse.

Q: Are my garage door's springs correctly adjusted?
I went to install my garage door opener and it says that the door should hold its own weight when let go half way up. It comes down with weight when I do this, and weighs quite a bit. The home builder said its fine. But is it?

A: No. When fully opened, the door should stay open, or possibly close slightly (not more than a few inches). At halfway, the door should either be neutral (stay still) or close slowly. You should easily be able to hold the weight of the door with one hand. When fully closed, the door should stay closed. Sounds like your builder is: - trying to not do work he should do (or) - ignorant and doesn't know what he's talking about Think of it this way - in the event of a power failure, you will need to disengage the drive on your opener. You should be able to easily (EASILY) open and close the door. If you can't, the counter-ballance springs are not doing their job. I'm not a saleperson or installer - just an person with experience performing home repair and replaced my own door & spring system. One of my neighbors has done this on a regular basis -- sounds like you need additional springs or a spring with a higher spring rate.

Q: Replacing 2 garage door springs (header mounted) w/opener. If install springs w/ door up I won't have to wind?
if i put the springs on the rods with the overhead door up, will it wind the springs properly just by shutting door with opener after tightening all nuts and pulley wires? Can springs be installed in a way so you don't have to manually wind them?

A: Torsion springs lengthen as they wind up. For example, 8 full turns on a spring with .250 wire will result in the spring being 2 inches longer. If you tighten the set screws and lower the door the springs will rapidly bind and the door will stop. Plus the cable drums are tough to set properly with the door on the ground. I have done it this way but I have put in more than 1000 of these over the years. I have seen a couple jam so hard that I had to jack up the door to loosen the bound springs. I aslo saw more than one door with the springs installed and wound up backwards(springs are made left and right hand) and doing that can cost you some body parts.