Many homeowners wonder about the reasons behind their garage door springs being broken. Probably, you are reading this article as well because you are in the same pickle.
Garage doors have many components. Unlike the usual furniture at home, a garage door has parts that can last longer with good maintenance and parts that are only for short-term use. Garage door springs only last for a short period of time, though they’re manufactured to be a vital component of a garage door. They usually perform the hardest job among all the components — that is, handling the pressure and force while the door is opening and closing.
Check out this detailed list of reasons behind a broken garage door spring. You might not be able to easily fix your broken garage door spring or hire garage door spring repair simply by reading this post, but you’ll have a foundation to start from when working toward a solution.
Handling the Most Tiring Task
The main reason why a garage door spring may break is because of the main function it performs — handling the pressure every time a garage door opens and closes. Usually, the springs are rated on a number of cycles. Of course, cheaper garage door springs have low ratings (usually at 10,000 cycles) whereas the expensive ones are around twice that of the cheap ones. When you are to install a garage door system, always check the quality of the garage door spring. Remember that nothing can last forever and that is true for garage door springs as well.
Rust Is Also a Factor
Another probable reason for malfunctioning garage door springs is rust! The same with any other equipment and machines, rust may be the culprit. Rust can eat away at the springs, causing breakage. Luckily, if your opponent is only rust, you can handle this through proper maintenance. Occasionally check your garage doors springs for any signs of rust and try to apply lubricants if possible. Take note as well that excess moisture on your garage door can result in rust, so make sure to look for this.
Trying Out Cheaper Springs for Less of a Cost
The use of cheaper garage door springs does not actually save you money. At first, you may want to use a long spring instead of two for the sake of saving some dollars. However, using two springs can better handle the tension of opening or closing garage doors, especially those which are excessively huge and heavy. And since this one garage door spring will be responsible for the job alone, this tension will reduce its lifespan, resulting in breakage and of course, its eventual replacement.
Your Garage Door Might Be Unbalanced!
Since the spring handles pressure every time a garage door functions, it becomes harder for it to do its job should the garage door components be misaligned. This reason is a bit difficult to validate, especially if you are not knowledgeable about springs. You should seek the assistance of professionals who are trained in repair and installation.
If you have noticed that something is off with your garage door, do not think twice! Immediately call on the help of trained individuals. Remember, should the situation worsen, you may need to pay for more consequences than expected.