Broken Spring Repair

Torsion or extension — what's on your door?

Most homes in London's newer subdivisions use torsion springs mounted on a bar above the door. Older detached garages in neighbourhoods like Old East Village or Old South sometimes still run extension springs alongside the tracks. Either type does the heavy lifting so your opener doesn't have to.

A standard spring is good for roughly ten thousand cycles — about seven to ten years for a typical family. Deep-freeze January nights make steel brittle, which is why spring calls spike every winter in Southwestern Ontario.

Tell-tale signs

A bang from the garage, a visible gap in the coil, a door that suddenly weighs a tonne, one that only lifts a few centimetres or one that drops too quickly. Running the opener against a broken spring can wreck the motor and cables, so stop using it.

Why this is a pro-only job

Wound springs hold enough energy to break bones. We use proper winding bars, replace in matched pairs when it makes sense, and leave only when the door stays put halfway open on its own.