The springs to your garage door perform a crucial role in supporting the weight of the garage door and acting as a feature of safety. If the garage door system malfunctioned when the door is opening or closing, the springs would hold the garage door in position. This prevents the garage door from crushing to the floor. However, since the wearing out process starts after garage door installation, the springs become weaker with time. So what makes you aware when your garage door springs are not in perfect condition and need replacement?
Rusty springs
Rust is a main culprit in the malfunction of garage door springs. Moisture makes frequent contact with garage door springs. This creates a favourable condition for rusting of the springs. If rust on the springs builds up for a long period of time, permanent damage occurs to the springs. Deep rust binds the spring which hampers its stretching ability. This is likely to cause snapping of the spring. Performing continuous garage door maintenance would be of great help in preventing rusting of your garage door springs. Cleaning and lubricating the springs every three months helps avoid rust. A little rust can be removed by a rust-removing chemical and a piece of cloth. In case the rust is heavy, call garage door service experts to replace the spring.
Faded elasticity of the springs
A newly installed garage door spring has remarkable elasticity. It perfectly stretches on opening of the garage door then recoils when the door is closed. With frequent garage door inspection, it’s easy to note that the constant stretching of the springs weakens elasticity. How do you know when the elasticity of the springs has reached its limit? During installation of the springs, take a picture of them and place it somewhere clearly easy to access in your garage. As you do your garage door inspection, compare the current appearance of the springs with the original appearance. If the spaces in the current springs seem extremely stretched out to what you see in the picture, then it’s time for spring replacement.
Inability to support the garage door weight
For a time interval of 6 months, it’s advisable to perform a garage door weight test. This is basically a test on the garage door springs. The essence of this test is to help the home owner establish the capability of the springs in supporting the garage door’s weight. Here are the steps to perform the weight test:
- Pull down the emergency release handle on the garage door. This enables you to manually operate a garage door engaged to an electric opener.
- Slowly raise the garage door to about three-feet.
- Let go of the garage door. If it remains in place, the springs’ ability to sustain the weight of the garage door is still reliable. If the springs can no longer support the garage door, the door slides down upon releasing it.
If you notice any of these sign on your garage door springs, take it as an indication of required action on your garage door springs. Replacement of garage door springs is a complex task that you should not attempt without professional knowledge and the necessary equipment. It is also unsafe as it can cause body injury. Rely on the service of a professional garage door repair company for replacement of garage door springs.