As with all mechanical gear in the home, garage doors need regular service to ensure that they continue working the way they were designed to. Unfortunately, most homeowners are unaware that the springs and other mechanical door components require occasional routine maintenance and safety checks.



To keep your garage door in peak condition, you need to attend to lubricating and checking the high tension spring system, which is one of the most critical parts for safe and proper door functioning. The torsion springs are also the most obvious culprits to pay particular attention to when you are experiencing problems either opening or closing your garage door.

Garage door torsion springs are retained under extremely high tension and are wound very tightly. It is because of this high tension that even the most highest quality steel springs will wear over time and finally snap. It is because of this possibility of sudden breakage that the torsion springs have to be contained, in order to prevent serious injury or property damage. That containment is either in the form of cables or in the case of roller shutter doors, an outer steel tube. Even if they are contained and you have an ageing garage door, it is advisable to have them inspected regularly by a professional installer. The springs should be replaced if necessary.

Many overhead garage doors will have two separate springs installed. If only one is broken, do not just replace it and not the other. Both springs should be replaced at the same time even though the good one may show little sign of fatigue. You can bet your bottom dollar that if one has broken, the other will not be far behind it.

You might have a garage door, where the springs squeak noisily or make a chattering sound when the door is lifted or lowered. This does not necessarily mean that the springs or the door are on their last legs and require replacing. The trouble can often be fixed simply by spraying on some lubricant, such as WD-40, or something similar.

Another sign that your garage door requires inspection and repair is if there are chafed and broken strips of cable hanging loose. Regardless of the quality of the door, this is a sign that the cables are about to break. A sudden break in the garage door torsion pring cable could cause serious injury. These chafed cables need to be inspected and in all likelihood replaced by a professional service engineer who is knowledgeable about the problems associated with springs and cables breaking.

Due to the heavy load they must lift, garage door torsion springs are kept under extreme tension making them dangerous to adjust. If you find that the springs are preventing your garage door from operating correctly, do not attempt to work on them yourself.

It is a good advice to schedule a yearly maintenance inspection of your garage door by a registered service engineer. This will avoid the risk of potential injury and give you peace of mind that the door will operate correctly and safely every time.