Garage Door Springs Explained By The Experts
Although you may not be a garage expert, I’m sure you have wondered what those large springs in your garage were for and how they worked. Well, we’re going to give you the basics from the experts, just so that you can make a smart purchase when choosing your garage doors at Doormatic – plus you can impress your neighbours with all that garage door knowledge!
Firstly, what are Garage Door Springs?
Garage door springs sole purpose is to ensure that your door opens easily and safely. They function as counterweights to take the weight off the door allowing for the easy and safe opening and closing.
Tension springs are the most common springs and they are used to balance the weight of the garage door simply by applying torque and are often connected to a metal shaft. When the garage door is opened the tension spring that is secured at the bottom of the door begins to unwind itself. Tension springs are extremely reliable as they safely counterbalance the weight of a heavy garage door.
The other type of springs are called ‘the extension springs’ and they are similar to the tension springs as in they serve the same purpose of counterbalancing the weight of the garage door to allow safe and easy opening and closing. The springs are mounted onto each side of the garage door or sometimes they are placed overhead into the horizontal tracks. Lighter doors usually only need two of these springs however commercial and residential garage doors may need up to 4 springs, as these doors are a lot heavier.
Checking Your Garage Door Springs
Believe it or not, it can be considered that garage door springs are the most important component of a garage door system.
To ensure that your doors are working securely and safely, it’s important to carry out a monthly inspection of your garage door springs. Be sure to keep an eye out for obvious defects such as rusting, loose mounting hardware, creaky sounds etc…
Have Your Garage Door Professionally Examined By The Experts
The best advice I would give you would be to seek professional service so that they can inspect your entire garage door thoroughly and to offer peace of mind that all of the components are in full working order. Ideally you should have your garage doors inspected by a professional at least once a year so that you can prevent further problems in the future that can cost a fortune in repair bills.
We’re here to help!
If you think your garage door springs are not in full working order then please do not hesitate to give us a call for further advice. Our Doormatic specialists have years of experience and are known for their honest and friendly approach. We will recommend a service/solution that would benefit you and we would never advise you to spend a penny on something that is unnecessary.
