How do you open a garage door with a broken spring?

Garage door spring replacement is urgently required once a broken spring is detected. Remember that the spring supports the heavy weight of the door during the opening and closing process. It’s advisable not to open the door with a broken spring till when the repair-man is on the site. However, if you absolutely need to open the door to get your car out of the garage, here are the steps to follow:

• Exercise caution

Safety first! This is a golden rule that governs every DIY process. Get the necessary tools and manpower required because the weight is not supported. Consider the type of the door and whether it’s a torsion or extension spring to determine the possible weight of the door and what you’ll need.

• Position the ladder

Place a ladder on each side of the door. Ensure that you get another person to man one side of the door as you handle the other.

• Insert the pry bars

Locate the corner present between the door and the floor and insert the pry bars under that corner and pull them up to create room for you to grab the door with your hands from under.

• Lift the door

Raise the door to a fully open position while ensuring that you maintain an equal balance from both sides. Use a pair of vice grips to clamp the track on both sides just below the roller the bottom most roller.

• Hold the door in place

Place the ladders directly below the door on each side. Once you’re sure, get hold of the door and carefully remove the vice grips, leaving the door to rest on the ladder. However, you may keep the vice grips clamped on the tracks below the bottom rollers for added support.

How long do garage door springs last?

A standard and quality spring of a garage door should function well for about 10,000 cycles. This accounts for anywhere between 9-10 years. However, there’re factors that contribute to premature breaking of the springs. The major ones include:

• Rust

Rust accounts for most premature spring breakages. This is because they’re metallic hence prone to rust if proper care is not taken. This can be prevented by regular spraying of the spring coils using WD-40 at least every three months.

• Wrong installation process

A wrongly installed door spring is likely to snap and break way before the estimated lifespan. It’s advisable to make use of an experienced Fort Lauderdale garage door repair technician to handle the garage door spring installation.

• Use of the wrong spring

Door repair springs are available with varying horsepower (HP). Some are designed to lift the weight of heavy duty commercial doors while others are meant for lighter doors. For example, if a spring meant for lighter doors is used on heavy commercial garage doors, it’s likely to snap and break. Consult Eden garage doors for expert advice.

How much does it cost to fix a spring on a garage door?

Repairing a door spring may cost about $100-$200. However, a replacement may be necessary in case of extensive damage hence an increase in cost. Contact a Fort Lauderdale garage door repair technician for professional garage door spring repair.