Garage Doors operate via a garage door spring.  Garage door springs are very powerful and dangerous and should be adjusted with great care.  No matter what kind of door springs you have, both the door and the springs have to be maintained in a very good order and periodically inspected to ensure safety.

There are two basic types; the Extension Spring, and the Torsion Spring. Torsion Springs are much more trickier to handle and dangerous too as compared to Extension Springs.

Garage Door

Lighter doors such as sectional doors and one-piece tilt up garage doors use extension springs. These extension springs are hung on top of the door, with the other end at the back of the upper track. Although extension springs are safer to work with as compared to torsion springs, they still pose significant danger to homeowners trying to fix them.

Garage door torsion springs are usually used for heavier doors, including sectional doors. Torsion springs are located above the door, two of them on each side. These springs are extremely dangerous, and there have been numerous reported injuries and even deaths related to torsion springs. You absolutely need the help of a professional, if you want to install or to repair this type of a door spring.

Some people produce tutorials on how to install torsion garage door springs, others say that it is as easy as fixing a car. However, you should remember that a regular door weighs 300-400 pounds, and these springs are capable of lifting this heavy door easily. Only try to imagine the power secluded in these springs, and the danger of them hitting you, especially in the head.

It is advised to actually never stand below the garage door while it’s opening or closing. It is also important to place the button which opens and closes your garage door, high enough where children cannot reach it. Children love to push buttons, as well as, they love to open/close garage doors. Placing the buttons out of a child’s reach will help prevent horrible accidents, caused by garage door springs or the door itself.

Garage door springs often become damaged with time. It is very important to carry out regular checks on the condition on your springs. Usually, whenever one spring needs repair, the other one is likely to get damaged soon too. Therefore, it is better to replace both springs together.

Installing or repairing a spring can cost anywhere between $75-$350. To get the best deal out there, it is therefore better to shop around.

When the door is closed, that’s when the springs are most tightly compressed. So, if the springs fail during this time, no one is liable to get injured as the door will remain closed. However, significant threat is posed in case the springs fail when the garage door is open. When this happens, any unfortunate person or object right under the door can fall a victim to severe injury. In a way, it is advisable for people or objects to never stand under the garage door even when it is smoothly operational.

The life-span depends on the quality of the spring, as well as on the amount of usage, on the maintenance, as well as whether this garage spring fits the size, height and weight of the door.

To ensure good safety, garage doors require regular maintenance and periodic inspection. In order to prevent any accidents, door springs must always be checked and replaced promptly.

Adam knows a lot about garage door springs and garage spring mechanisms.