Your home requires a lot of maintenance. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. The garage door is no exception.

Has your garage door been acting wanky lately? The door spring could be the problem. When the spring goes bad, you might be tempted to do the replacement yourself. Unfortunately, this isn’t a wise idea.

This article takes a look at why it’s best to hire a pro to replace garage door spring. Why is that? Keep reading to find out all the answers.

How Garage Door Springs Work

First, it’s important to understand how garage door springs work. 

It’s all about basic physics. As the spring is twisted, it tights, thus storing mechanical energy. The spring is mounted above the opening of the door. When the door goes down, the spring tightens. When the door goes up, the spring unwinds. This winding and unwinding is what makes door system operate.

Over time, the repeated winding and unwinding weakens the spring. When this happens, it eventually won’t function properly and will need to be replaced.

Life-Expectancy of a Garage Door Spring

On average, a typical door spring will last 5 to 7 years, depending on use. Thus a door that isn’t heavily used might last a bit longer. 

The Dangers of Replacing a Garage Door Spring

Much of the problem is due to outdated design. Simply put, old doors aren’t built with the same safety measures as newer doors.

New doors are designed with safety cables that keep the door from falling if the spring snaps under pressure. Most old garage doors aren’t equipped with this safety cable, thus the door is likely to fall and cause injury. This can also cause damage to your car and other items inside the garage.

It can be tempting to try to replace the spring yourself. This is not recommended. Replacement is more complicated than it appears, and without proper expertise, things can go sideways quickly.

What to Do When a Garage Door Spring Breaks

If your spring breaks, the best move is to simply leave it closed. No one can get hurt when the door is in the down position.

Keep in mind that sometimes a spring will break while the door is open and the door will stay up. When this occurs, go ahead and attempt to close it if you can do so safety, and then unplug the electric door opener from the wall outlet.

Now your best bet is to step away and contact a qualified repair service like O’Brien Garage Doors to make the replacement.

Who to Call to Replace Garage Door Spring 

Many people take pride in DIY repairs around the house. After all, doing a repair job yourself is a great way to save money and to take pride in being self-sufficient. 

But to replace garage door spring, this is a job for the pros. They’ll make it look quick and easy, and it will be money well spent.

Cli-ck here to see 8 things to consider when replacing a roof.