Why Your Garage Door Spring Breaks

Lifecyle

Nothing lasts forever. Of all the reasons for a broken garage door spring, general wear and tear is the most common. Over time, the continual opening and closing weakens the springs, and eventually, this weakness reaches its breaking point. This breaking point not only renders your springs ineffective, it can also be extremely dangerous. Keep in mind, the average lifecycle of a garage door spring is 10,000 cycles. If taking into account average daily use (4 cycles), this equates to a 7 year lifecycle. After these 10,000 cycles, replacement is needed.

Rust & Cold Weather

Mother nature likes to win. As rust builds on your garage door springs, friction increases, material weakens, and breaks become inevitable. To add salt to the wound, cold weather does the same.

Improper Maintenance

Although wear and tear, rust, and weakening are inevitable, improper maintenance only snowballs these negative effects. And what is the typical reason for improper maintenance? Laziness. With some simple, bi-monthly maintenance, you can significantly increase the longevity of your springs and significantly decrease the chances of severe injury:

Lubricate springs with petroleum jelly (WD-40 is not a true lubricant)
Apply WD-40 to springs (rust prevention)
Check balance of garage door (improper balance can add unwanted tension on springs)
Manually open door halfway and let go
If door sags to one side, a realignment is needed

What To Look For

With the extreme danger surrounding garage door springs, It is crucial to make yourself aware of any issues and to have them repaired immediately. During your bi-monthly lubrication and balance checks, check for rust, cracks, and obvious breaks. On a daily basis, listen for squeaking and a loud thud when the garage door closes. For rust, cracks, breaks, and loud thuds, call a technician as soon as possible. For squeaking, apply lubrication. If door continues to squeak, it is time for a replacement.

Now that you know why your garage door springs break and the danger that comes with it, make sure to conduct continual maintenance and make sure to call us in the event of a break.

Why Your Garage Door Is Noisy & How To Silence It

“Dad’s home!” I’m sure we have all been, or lived, in a home where a garage door opening could be heard, and sometimes even felt, from any room in the house. It becomes your home’s alert system for incoming parents, siblings, and children. However, if you are anything like us, it can be extremely annoying and disruptive to have a garage door that bangs, squeaks, and shrieks. Moreover, these noises may be the sign of a serious issue. That noise that you view as part of your home’s character may be potentially dangerous. Let’s explore the most common causes of noisy garage doors and how to quiet them – all while preventing damage or injury.

Loose Nuts and Bolts

While loose nuts and bolts seems innocent, ignoring them can lead to future failures in your system. Luckily, the fix is easy, quick, and simple. Check all nuts and bolts throughout your garage door system, especially on door and tracks, and tighten any you deem loose. Tip – avoid overtightening.

Dry Moving Parts

It’s not news that garage doors are made up of many moving parts. And what do moving parts need? Lubricant. When most people think of lubricant, they instantly think of WD-40. While WD-40 helps parts move more freely, it isn’t true lubricant. Get yourself some silicone spray or white lithium grease when lubricating your garage door parts. Once you have your lubricant in hand, here’s what you need to do with it:

Spray the top of the springs and let the lubricant run down to the base of the springs.
Spray the inside of each track and around the rollers.
Spray any metal chains.
Spray all panel hinges.

Be liberal with the lubricant and make sure to apply every 6 months (or when you feel it needs it).

Worn Out Insulation Strip

While the primary issue of a worn out insulation strip is the free flow of cold air and water, a loud bang on the closing of your door is a close second. Lucky for you, these insulation strips can easily be replaced yourself. Simply remove the worn out insulation, slide the new roll of rubber insulations through the tracks, and relish in the silence. Tip: make sure to purchase a strip long enough to extend at least an inch off each side of the door. Insulation strips shrink over time.

Broken Spring

Not only is this one of the most common causes for a noisy garage door, it is also the most dangerous. If your garage door is hitting the ground harder than normal, and your insulation strip is in good condition, it is likely that your spring is broken or failing. Whether this is your first time reading one of our blogs or not, we can’t stress enough how important it is to contact us immediately if dealing with a broken spring.

Garage Door Opener

Not as common as the others, but we see plenty of garage door openers causing raucous. If you determine that the noise is coming from your opener, contact a technician to come check it out. We will be able to determine whether or not the garage door opener is truly faulty, or if some other issue with your garage door is leading to an issue with the opener.

Now that we have explored the causes of your garage door’s “character building” exercises, it’s time to silence them.