Springs do the lifting. The opener only steers the door along the track, which is why a door with a broken spring feels as if it weighs as much as a small car and why an opener alone cannot rescue it. A snap makes a loud bang from the garage; after it, the door stays closed or comes down hard.
We replace torsion springs on the bar above the door and extension springs along the horizontal tracks, sized to your door's measured weight rather than to what the old spring happened to be. Replacement starts from $150 per spring. If a door carries two springs we normally replace both: they have turned the same number of cycles, and the second one often follows the first before long.
A broken spring often takes a cable or a bracket with it, so we check the lift cables and drums while we are there.
Signs You Need Garage Door Spring Repair
- You heard a bang and the door will not rise.
- The torsion spring shows a split in its coil.
- The opener runs but the door barely moves, or rises a few inches and stops.
- The door slams shut when released halfway.
- A spring has stretched or sagged so the door hangs crooked.
Cold mornings and spring wear
Steel springs are rated for a limited number of open-close cycles, and a busy household uses them up without noticing. Census figures put Great Falls at 3.06 people per household (Census QuickFacts for Great Falls), which means a door that opens many times each day.
Winter adds stress: National Weather Service normals for Washington Dulles (1991-2020) list a January average low of 25.2°F. Cold stiffens grease on the bar and the rollers, and that is when a tired spring finally gives up. If your springs are old, a replacement planned in autumn is cheaper than one forced on a freezing morning.
How We Handle It
Secure the door
The door is propped or clamped so it cannot drop, and the opener is disconnected.
Measure for the new spring
We weigh the door's balance and check the bar, bearings and cable drums for wear.
Install and tension
New springs are wound to the door's weight using proper winding bars, and the set screws are tightened.
Balance test
With the opener off, the door should stay put halfway up. If it does not, we adjust until it does.
Starting Prices — Garage Door Spring Repair
- Spring Replacement per spring
- From $150
- Diagnostic Service Call $0 with a completed repair
- $0
Each figure is where a job begins, not where it ends. Most doors have two lift cables and one or two springs, and the final number moves with the door's weight, the hardware grade and how many parts have worn out. You hear it at the door before any work starts.