2026-03-29 6 min read
Most people don't think about their garage door springs until one snaps. Then they hear what sounds like a gunshot from inside the garage, realize their car is trapped, and start making panicked phone calls on a Tuesday morning when they're already late for work.
In Garland and the surrounding communities. Burgaw, Harrells, Chinquapin. this is one of the most common repair calls we get. And in the vast majority of cases, the spring gave clear warning signs weeks or months before it failed. The homeowner just didn't know what to look for.
This post is about changing that.
Before getting into the warning signs, it helps to understand what's at stake. Garage door springs are responsible for counterbalancing the weight of your door. and that door weighs anywhere from 150 to 300 pounds depending on the material and size. The springs store mechanical energy when the door closes and release it to help lift the door when you open it.
Your opener motor is not designed to lift the door's full weight on its own. When springs are working correctly, the opener barely has to work. When springs fail or weaken, the opener strains to compensate. and that strain can burn out the motor, strip gears, or cause the door to drop unexpectedly.
Most standard springs are rated for around 10,000 cycles, with one cycle being one full open and close. If your household uses the door four times a day, you're looking at roughly seven years of life. less if you have a heavy door, and less in a humid environment like Sampson County where moisture accelerates metal fatigue.
Disconnect your opener by pulling the red emergency cord, then try to lift the door manually to about waist height. A properly balanced door should lift with minimal effort and stay in place without drifting up or down. If the door feels like it weighs a ton, or if it immediately drops when you let go, the springs are no longer doing their share of the work. This is one of the most reliable early indicators that something is wrong.
A sudden, loud noise from the garage. often described as a gunshot or a firecracker. usually means a torsion spring has snapped. When a torsion spring breaks, it releases a significant amount of stored tension all at once. If this happens, stop using the door immediately. Do not force it open with the opener. Call for service.
Torsion springs sit mounted on the rod above your door. Take a look at them. if you notice a gap of about two inches or more in the coil, the spring has broken. Healthy springs have tightly wound coils with no separation. A gap means the spring can no longer support the door's weight, and continued use risks damaging the cables, tracks, and opener.
If your door looks lopsided when opening or closing. one side rising faster than the other. that often means one spring has failed while the other is still functioning. This uneven strain quickly causes wear on the cables and tracks as well, turning a single repair into a more expensive one if ignored. This is also a good time to review our balance adjustment guide, which explains what proper door balance looks like and why it matters.
Over time, springs corrode due to moisture. and in Garland's humid climate, that process happens faster than it does in drier parts of the state. A rusty spring is more brittle and far more prone to snapping. Look for orange discoloration, flaking, or a rough texture on the spring surface. If you also see elongation. coils that look stretched out and less tightly wound than the rest. that spring is near the end of its life.
If your opener sounds like it's working twice as hard as it used to. straining, making unusual noises, or stopping before the door is fully open. your springs may not be providing enough support. Continued use in this condition can burn out the motor or strip gears, adding opener replacement to what started as a spring issue. If your opener is struggling, don't keep hitting the button hoping it works.
The lift cables on your door rely on spring tension to stay taut. When a spring breaks, the cables it works with often go slack or come loose from their drums. If you see a cable hanging on one side of the door, that's a clear sign a spring has already failed.
Garage door spring replacement is one of the most dangerous home repair jobs a homeowner can attempt. Springs are under extreme tension. and that tension is still stored even when the door is closed. Releasing or winding that tension without the proper winding bars and technique can result in broken fingers, facial injuries, or worse. A 150,300 pound door with no spring support can drop without warning.
Even experienced DIYers should leave this one alone. When you replace springs incorrectly. using the wrong size, the wrong type, or an improper winding. you create a system that's technically functional but fundamentally unsafe. Always replace both springs at the same time so they wear at the same rate and the door stays balanced.
Garland Garage Doors technicians handle spring replacements with the right tools and properly rated parts. We also inspect the full system. cables, rollers, drums, and hardware. so you're not surprised by the next failure a month later. Check out our full list of services or contact us to schedule a repair.
If you notice any of the warning signs above, the safest move is to stop using the door until a technician can inspect it. That might mean parking in the driveway for a day or two. That's a minor inconvenience compared to a door that drops on a child, a pet, or your car hood. Modern garage doors should have tamper-resistant safety features in place too. if yours is older, an inspection is a good time to check those as well.
For homeowners across the Garland area and nearby towns, we're available to diagnose spring issues, replace worn components, and get your door working safely again. Don't wait for a broken spring to make the decision for you. Visit our service areas page to confirm we cover your location.
Q: Can I still use my garage door if I think a spring is worn but not broken yet? A: Use caution. If the door feels heavy, moves unevenly, or the opener sounds like it's struggling, minimize use and get an inspection scheduled promptly. Using a door with a failing spring puts stress on the opener, cables, and tracks. and risks a sudden failure that could cause injury or trap your vehicle.
Q: Do I need to replace both springs even if only one broke? A: Yes, and this is important. Springs wear at the same rate, so if one has reached the end of its life, the other is close behind. Replacing only the broken spring means you'll likely be dealing with another failure within weeks or months. Replacing both at once keeps the door balanced and saves you from paying a second service call fee.
Q: How long do garage door springs typically last in a humid area like Garland? A: Standard springs are rated for around 10,000 cycles, which translates to roughly seven to nine years with average daily use. In humid climates, rust and metal fatigue can shorten that lifespan noticeably. especially if the springs haven't been regularly lubricated. High-cycle springs rated for 20,000 cycles or more are worth considering as an upgrade if longevity is a priority.