HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT SPRING SYSTEM FOR YOUR GARAGE DOOR

Normally, we don’t really think about our garage door, but the fact is, the garage door is a big part of your home’s overall curb appeal. An unappealing garage door, or one that is obviously in decline, will make your property look below par, so it will decrease in value. Particularly if you use your garage as a shop, office, or spare room you should pay more attention to maintaining it. Start with an outstanding-quality garage door that’s tough and long-lasting. Your garage door is really the largest working appliance of your household, so it’s crucial to keep it in tiptop condition. When you decide to buy an entirely new garage door, it’s important to do your research so that you can formulate the perfect combination of resilience, price, looks, and acceptable maintenance requirements.

Which is Better: An Extension Spring System for Your Garage Door? Or a Garage Door with Torsion Springs?

Extension Springs

Extension springs are very reasonably priced, and the standard garage door spring system. Extension springs are the most common, and often found in older homes. They stretch, or extend, which is why they’re called extension springs. They stretch as the garage door shuts, and loosen as it opens. Your garage door’s spring system likely already has extension springs ~ coiled springs installed on either side of the garage door horizontal track ~ if you have a lighter-weight garage door. They’re mounted on both sides of the garage door, attaching at one end to the track supports and to the tracks at the other end via cables.

Extension spring systems are a bit tricky to balance, particularly if you replace only one spring at a time. In an extension spring system, the cables attach to the bottom bracket on the garage door’s bottom panel. A series of pulleys attach to the springs and to the track, with adjustment clips to balance the garage door. Normally there’s a second cable on each side, which attaches to the track. It runs through the center of the extension spring and then attaches to the track support brackets.

Extension springs, when they fail, can be very dangerous. One common reason that garage doors with extension springs go on the blink is that the pulleys get worn out. The ball bearings break down, which causes the pulley to scrape up against the track angle; or, the rivets malfunction, the pulley splits, and then the door cable sticks. If you don’t maintain extension springs properly, they can actually go straight through the wall! They can cause serious injury, and even death. That’s why, for exceptional quality, extension springs must come with a safety containment cable system, spanning the entire length of the spring and preventing loose ends from causing any damage or injury.

Torsion Springs

Torsion springs use torque to open your garage door. Torsion springs slowly twist and coil on the shaft whenever force is applied by hand or by the garage door motor. They’re available in a wide variety of options, of various lengths and sizes, made according to the garage door’s height, weight, and track radius, as well as additional specifications. In a torsion spring system, spring bars ~ or “torsion tubes” ~ are mounted on the header on the inside of the garage door opening, each with a center bracket keeping the spring in place. There’s a drum at each end of the torsion tube. Cables attach to the bottom bracket on each side of the garage door, and then go up the height of the door and wind around the drums as the door opens, and unwind as the door shuts. The torsion springs provide the force to open and shut the door. The drums and cable and do the lifting.

Some garage doors work well with only one torsion spring, while other doors require two or more springs. This depends on the garage door’s weight. A two-spring system gives you a more balanced lifting garage door. Smaller, lightweight doors of single-car garages usually require only one spring.

A torsion spring system for your garage door that’s well-designed will correctly counterbalance your garage door with the utmost safety and equilibrium. If you have a heavier and/or wider garage door, you ought to have torsion springs. They’re placed along the wall directly above the garage door opening. These include a shaft, spring, and drum assembly. The torsion springs themselves are mounted on the shaft, which acts as a containment system. Corrosion-resistant galvanized torsion springs are thought by most garage door repair professionals to be superior to all other types of springs, and certainly more attractive and longer lasting than oil-tempered springs.

Torsion springs should be installed only by an eminently qualified garage door professional. Even standard extension springs can be a challenge to work with, so you’ll need to know what you’re doing. If you have the wherewithal, tools, and experience to install them by yourself, then proceed carefully, closely following the instructions in the installation manual. Injuries often happen when an unqualified person tries to remove or adjust the bottom bracket of the garage door, which connects the lifting cables to the spring system. This bracket is under a huge amount of pressure. If it ever gets loose, it can separate from the garage door’s general structure and cause injuries or property damage.

Even though they’re more expensive, most garage door expert technicians recommend a torsion spring garage door system because it’s state-of-the-art, and far safer. Torsion springs are easier to adjust, and thus balancing the door is easier to do.

This is just an overview. Considering your budget, taste, and property requirements, how do you decide what’s ideal for you? It’s important to hire a reliable local garage door repair company you know you can count on. If you’re anywhere in Northglenn, Colorado, consider a reputable company such as Northglenn Garage Door Repair, where the mobile garage door technicians on staff are glad to provide you with a free consultation.

Aricle source here: HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT SPRING SYSTEM FOR YOUR GARAGE DOOR