Garage Door Springs

You heard a loud bang from the garage. Or you pressed the button this morning and the door lifted two inches and stopped. Or the opener is running but nothing is moving. If any of that sounds familiar, there is a good chance your garage door spring is broken. A broken spring is the number one reason garage doors stop working in our service area — and it is one of the most misunderstood problems a homeowner can face. Most people do not know what a spring does, what a broken one looks like, or why attempting to fix it yourself is genuinely dangerous. This guide covers all of it. By the end you will know exactly what to look for, what to do, and what not to do. Teo Garage Doors replaces broken springs same-day in Manassas Park and nearby areas. Call 571-505-8443 for immediate assistance. How do I know if my garage door spring is broken? The most common signs of a broken garage door spring are a loud bang from the garage, a door that won’t open or lifts only a few inches, an opener that runs but doesn’t move the door, and a visible gap or separation in the spring above the door. Do not attempt to operate the door. Call Teo Garage Doors at 571-505-8443 for same-day spring replacement in Manassas Park and nearby areas. Who replaces broken garage door springs near Manassas Park? Teo Garage Doors provides same-day garage door spring replacement in Manassas Park and nearby areas including Ashburn, Woodbridge, Gainesville, and Fairfax. With over 20 years of experience, we carry the most common spring configurations on hand and complete the replacement in a single visit. Call 571-505-8443. What Does a Garage Door Spring Actually Do? Before getting into the signs, it helps to understand why springs matter so much. Your garage door is heavy. Depending on the size and material, it can weigh anywhere from 150 to 400 pounds. The springs — mounted above the door — do the work of counterbalancing that weight every time the door opens and closes. They are what makes a heavy door feel light when you lift it by hand, and they are what allows a relatively small opener motor to move the door with ease. When a spring breaks, that counterbalance disappears. The door becomes its full dead weight. The opener cannot lift it. And if you try to lift it manually, you are fighting several hundred pounds with your bare hands. There are two types of springs used in residential garage doors. Torsion Springs Torsion springs run horizontally along a metal shaft directly above the door opening. They work by twisting and storing energy as the door closes, then releasing that energy to help lift the door as it opens. Most modern homes in our area have torsion spring systems — either a single spring on smaller doors or two springs side by side on heavier double doors. Extension Springs Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks on each side of the door. They stretch and contract to store and release energy. Older homes are more likely to have extension spring systems. These springs are also under significant tension and can be dangerous when they fail. The Warning Signs of a Broken Garage Door Spring You Heard a Loud Bang This is the most dramatic and unmistakable sign. When a torsion spring reaches the end of its life and snaps, it releases all of its stored tension at once. The sound is loud — many homeowners describe it as a gunshot or a firecracker going off inside the garage. How to identify it: You heard a sudden loud bang from the garage. Shortly after, the door stopped working or will not open. What to do: Do not attempt to open the door or force it with the opener. Call Teo Garage Doors at 571-505-8443 for same-day spring replacement. The Door Won’t Open or Opens Only a Few Inches When you press the button and the opener runs but the door barely moves — lifting two or three inches and then stopping — the opener is hitting a safety limit because it cannot move the weight of the door without the spring’s help. How to identify it: The opener runs and sounds normal but the door lifts only a couple of inches and stops. Some openers will try several times and then give up entirely. What to do: Do not keep pressing the button. Forcing the opener to work against the full weight of the door can burn out the motor. Call a professional immediately. The Opener Runs But the Door Does Not Move If the opener sounds completely normal — running through its full cycle without any strain — but the door does not move at all, there are two likely causes. Either the spring is broken, or the trolley has become disconnected. How to identify it: The opener runs a full cycle and sounds normal. The door does not move at all — not even a few inches. What to do: Do not attempt to force the door. Both causes require a professional to diagnose and fix safely. Call Teo Garage Doors at 571-505-8443. The Door Feels Extremely Heavy If you disconnect the opener and try to lift the door manually, it should feel manageable. A door with functioning springs lifts relatively easily and stays open on its own. How to identify it: The door requires significant effort to move even a few inches. It will not stay open and begins to drop when you let go. What to do: Stop immediately and call a professional. Do not attempt to prop the door open or force it further. You Can See a Gap or Separation in the Spring Look up at the spring above your garage door. On a torsion spring system, you will see a horizontal coil running along a metal bar above the door. How to identify it: There is