Garage Door Springs - A Dangerous & Powerful Home Mechanisms

By Adam Stranton

Garage door springs are the mechanisms that open the garage doors. There are two kinds: extension springs and torsion springs, with the latter being the most dangerous ones.

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.

On the other hand, doors that weigh more (like sectional doors) use torsion springs. On each door, a torsion spring is used on both sides. Garage doors involving the use of a torsion spring always need professional help for installation or repair, because they have been known to cause severe injuries, and certain deaths as well.

Handling a garage door that uses torsion springs is a serious matter. Such a garage door weighs a massive 300-400 pounds, and surely, springs that handle such weight are capable of extreme compression and extension. It is to be noted that such instruments have had a history of imparting serious head injury.

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.

It is advisable to keep a check on the conditions of your garage door springs regularly, as they do tend to get worn out with time. At the time of replacing one damaged spring, it is recommended to replace the second one too, because the first one getting rusty means the second will follow suit.

Installing or repairing your springs will cost anywhere from $75 to $350, so be sure to shop around to get the best deal.

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.

Your garage door and springs must be kept well maintained at all times. It is important to carry out regular inspection and examination, because that can not only help detect any potential causes of failure, but also because garage door mechanisms are dangerous and demand more attention. Irrespective of whatever kind of springs are used by your garage door, remember to maintain them well and hence prevent any unfortunate accidents, because safety always comes first. - 29857

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