Ah, the garage door—that commonly taken for granted door that opens and shuts your garage. It was there when you bought the house, and you probably have not given it a second thought, really. Yet, what happens when the door suddenly does not work as it once did? How familiar are you with how a garage door works? A better question to ask is, are you familiar with garage door spring repair? The following tips and helpful information will get you started on garage door and garage door repair basics.
Get Some Help
Some garage doors are a lot heavier than they look. If you are doing this repair without the help of a technician or garage door expert, enlist another adult or a teenager to assist you. Your helper will need to be the one holding the door in position while you remove and replace the springs.
Open the Door All the Way Up
It will be much easier to remove damaged or dysfunctional springs if the garage door is open (i.e., all the way up). Your helper will need to stand on a very stable ladder and hold the door in the open position while you climb a second ladder to remove the springs. If the door is especially heavy such that it has two or more springs supporting it, be sure to get a second helper to hold the door on the opposite side.
While on Your Ladder, Remove and Replace One Spring at a Time
If you have exposed springs (i.e., springs that are not encased in vinyl or plastic sheathing), then you will have to carefully turn one spring around while gently wiggling the spring's end out of the connecting holes. There should be one hole at the top of the spring and one toward the bottom or middle of the door. You will notice that the ends of the spring are pushed and coiled through these holes. Only remove one spring at a time (if you have more than one spring). Then be ready to quickly install the new spring by threading the ends of the coil through these holes. Repeat this process for any remaining springs, all while your helper holds the door up.
When All Springs Are Safely Replaced, Let the Door Go
Once you have safely replaced all of the garage door springs, your helper may let go of the garage door. It may bounce forward a little or not move at all. Try closing and opening the garage door to make sure the springs are working. If it begins to fall, get out of the way! Check and repeat your installation steps to see what went wrong and try again. When the door behaves as a garage door should, you have successfully installed your springs.
For more information and help, consult a garage-door professional.
Share30 June 2016
When my husband and I first built our home, we had no idea which kind of garage door would blend in with the exterior facade of our place. However, after we mulled over a bunch of different options, we decided to go with a few fancy, carriage door styled garage doors. In addition to adding an old-world feel to our place, they also worked incredibly well. I know that it sounds silly, but our garage doors are one of my favorite things about our new place. I want you to love your garage doors as much as I love mine, which is why I built this website.