Broken Garage Door Spring Repair in Wilmington

If you heard a bang from the garage and now the door won’t lift, a spring has almost certainly broken. Here’s what’s going on and what to expect from the repair.

Signs of a broken spring

• A loud bang, like a gunshot, from the garage
• A visible gap in the torsion spring above the door
• The door lifts a few inches and stops, or the opener strains and gives up
• The door feels extremely heavy when lifted by hand
• Cables hanging loose beside the door

Torsion vs. extension springs

Torsion springs are mounted on a bar above the door and twist to lift it. Most modern doors in Wilmington use them. They’re safer and smoother than extension springs, but they’re under high tension, and replacing them is not a DIY job.

Extension springs run alongside the horizontal tracks and stretch to counterbalance the door. They’re found on older and lighter doors. They should always have safety cables running through them so a broken spring can’t whip across the garage.

Why springs break sooner near the coast

Every spring is rated for a certain number of cycles, one open plus one close. Standard springs are often rated around 10,000 cycles, which is roughly 7 to 10 years for a typical household. Rust eats into that. On the barrier islands and along the waterway, corrosion pits the steel and creates weak points. Ask about higher-cycle springs, or coated or galvanized springs, if you use the door heavily or live close to the ocean.

What a proper spring repair includes

• Correctly sized springs for your door’s weight and height, not just “close enough”
• Replacing both springs on a two-spring door
• Inspecting cables, drums, bearings and rollers, which often wear at the same time
• Balancing the door, so it stays put when lifted halfway by hand
• Testing the opener’s force settings and the safety reversal

Until it’s fixed

Don’t use the opener, which can strip gears or bend the door. Don’t try to lift the door by hand. If your car is trapped, a technician can usually get it out on the same visit. Keep children and pets away from the door.

Spring repair is one of the less expensive garage door fixes. See typical ranges in our cost guide. If the door is also crooked, the cables may have come off as well. See off-track and cable repair.