As a homeowner, you may eventually face the problem of a broken garage door spring. If you’re not sure whether or not your spring is broken, trust us—it’s clear when a spring breaks. You’ll often hear a loud bang and notice that the door is extremely difficult to lift, or you may simply notice that your opener does not work like it should. If this is the case, you likely have a broken spring and need to proceed carefully.

Here is our recommendation on how to proceed if your garage door spring breaks:

• Do not open the door unless absolutely necessary. Torsion springs balance garage doors and make them easier to lift. Given that garage doors often weigh several hundred pounds and can be extremely dangerous without a spring, we recommend not opening the garage door unless absolutely necessary.
• If you must open the door, do so with the help of several other people and a support. If all of your vehicles are inside the garage and you do need to open the door, do so with the help of several other strong people and a support such as a 4×4 post. You will need to work together to open the door, as it is very heavy. The 4×4 post is there for support while you remove your vehicle from the garage. If the garage door falls, do not attempt to catch it on the way down. Garage doors are very heavy and can cause serious injury if not handled safely.
• Call a professional as soon as possible. Garage doors and garage door springs can be very dangerous to work on. Garage door springs require specialized equipment to install and maintain, so you should call a professional as soon as possible. Our team here at Omaha Door & Window responds quickly to service requests, so please contact us directly if your garage door spring breaks.

While the advice below won’t help you with your current spring now that it’s already broken, there are preventative steps you can take to extend the lifespan of your new garage door spring. Have a look at a couple of our tips below:

• Perform regular maintenance. Regular cleaning, lubrication, and inspection of your garage door helps to ensure that it does not wear prematurely. You should clean your garage door and lubricate its moving parts a few times a year. For more on garage door maintenance, see our blog posts about garage door maintenance 101.
• Have a professional inspect your garage door annually. Every year, you should have a professional technician inspect your garage door for signs of wear or safety hazards.
• Purchase a long-life spring. We have longer life cycle springs available for torsion spring doors. If you have had your spring break frequently, you can increase the life cycle of the spring–just ask the service technician before the broken spring is replaced. You will save money in the long run because you will have less service calls.

These steps should go a long ways towards ensuring you don’t have to deal with a broken garage door spring for some time.

Remember: you can always contact us directly by phone at 402.733.6440, or fill out a service request form online. If your garage door has a broken spring and you’re unsure of how to proceed, or if you’d simply prefer professional help, don’t hesitate to reach out. We offer immediate service and are always available for emergencies.

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