Most people don’t give much thought to their garage door. It opens and closes at their will and as long as it is properly working, you probably haven’t thought twice about how it works. When something goes wrong however, or you are replacing your garage door for some reason, there are some considerations to make for your new door. There are two different springs used on most garage doors. They are torsion springs and extension springs. Today AAA Action Doors are going to talk about their differences and the benefits of each of them. We would like to help you understand the differences between torsion and extension springs for your new garage door.
Dangers of DIY Garage Door Extension Spring Repair
Extension springs have widely been the most popular spring used on residential garage doors. These springs look similar to a spring found on a trampoline. It is a tight coil with hooks on both end of it. The springs are located on the sides of the garage door above the tracks to act as counterweights. This type of spring system is the more dangerous of the two. For this reason, there should always be safety cables installed to ensure the springs don’t become projectile objects in the case of one breaking. This is the most inexpensive of the two springs and last for about 5,000 to 10,000 lifts.
Benefits of Garage Door Torsion Springs
The biggest difference between extension and torsion springs, is torsion springs use torque to lift and lower the garage door rather than a spring that extends and stretches. The torsion spring is located inside a metal tube, so if there is a malfunction of any kind it isn’t a danger to anyone. These springs are more customizable to your garage door. This spring is definitely the stronger of the two springs. It is far superior if you have a double door or doors that are made of heavier material. Torsion springs are more expensive than extension springs, but they last longer. They can last anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 lifts.
Which Garage Door Spring Comes More Highly Recommended?
Even though extension springs have been the more commonly used spring in the past that is starting to change. Torsion springs might be more expensive, but they are more effective and a safer option overall. Because the working parts of the torsion springs aren’t exposed, if there is any problem with the spring it doesn’t create a dangerous situation like an extension spring. It can handle lifting and lowering so much more weight and lasts twice as long. The torsion springs are overall a good investment to make rather than choosing the cheaper option of extension springs.
AAA Action Doors Offer Full Service Inspection, Maintenance & Emergency Repairs in Las Vegas, Summerlin, North Las Vegas & Henderson Nevada.
If you have a garage door that has issues with the springs, you should never try to repair it yourself. It can be very dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. Deaths have even occurred in some instances where people tried to repair the springs of their garage doors by themselves. You have to remember that you are dealing with the total weight of your garage doors and the mechanism that lifts and lowers it. Poor installation can be a danger to yourself and others. Call AAA Action Doors with any garage door installation and repairs today.
