If a mousetrap can hurt, a garage torsion spring is frightening

Leave garage door repairs to the pros

Have you ever set a mousetrap and had the spring slip so that your fingers were caught in the trap? Hurts like heck, doesn’t it? For it’s size, the spring is a powerful little bugger. It’s only a little more than an inch long and about one-quarter inch in diameter but it will snap the trap shut with enough force to, well, leave a mark.

If a mousetrap can hurt that much, just think about what the torsion springs on your garage door can do.

A garage door can have one torsion spring or come in a set of two – a left-hand spring wound to the left and a right-hand spring wound to the right. The springs generally range from 16- to 48-inches long. They range in inside diameter from about 1-3/4-inches to 2-5/8-inches (commercial is usually anything above 2-5/8-inches and runs to 3-5/8-inches).

Those torsion springs are designed to raise garage doors that can weigh as much as half a ton. They’re rated by Inch Pounds Per Turn. Depending on the inside diameter of a spring for a residential application, and the wire comprising the spring, those springs can be loaded with as much as 50 IPPT. This refers to the inch-pounds of force from each turn of the spring.

If you multiply the IPPT by the number of turns in the spring, you should arrive at the total inch pounds of force generated by the spring. It’s possible that you’ll have 10 coils of the spring in 1-1/4 inch. 

As an example, let’s suppose you have a 30-inch spring 10 coils per 1-1/2 inches. Let’s also assume that the IPPT is 36.1. That spring has 200 coils, each packing a punch of 36.1 IPPT.

Make no mistake about it; if a mousetrap will leave a mark, a garage door torsion spring will take off a finger, an arm or something even more vital.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, close to 30,000 individuals suffer injuries each year from garage doors that include fractures, crushing, and amputations.

The point is that repairing a garage door is not a DIY type project. There are some times when you want to call in a professional. And when the garage door requires service, that’s one of the times to call a professional. And when the repair refers to garage door springs, there’s no question about it.

New garage doors can be transformative compared to that rickety old model on your Lake Villa garage

Rickety? Is that the word to describe the garage door outside your Lake Villa home? Does ‘battered’ fit its general appearance? Or maybe ‘outdated’ is the term that best describes your garage door. You don’t have to live that way!

Look around your Lake Villa neighborhood. There’s a good chance that your dilapidated garage door is not the norm. Chances are you’ll see some other garage doors that are, well, stylin’. You could have a garage door that sets a standard for vanity outside your house, too.

If your garage door is less than visually appealing, there’s a good chance your garage door isn’t in optimal condition mechanically either.

You may not have thought about it but, if you pay attention, you’ll recognize the effects of wear and tear on your garage door and garage door opener. You’re liable to notice that it takes more time going up and down. It doesn’t move as smoothly anymore. It may make a bunch of noise as it travels.

Efficient operation of your garage door is a good reason to consider maintenance or repairs; in fact, you shouldn’t wait for signs of problems before performing garage door maintenance. But the visual appeal of your garage door counts for something, too.

Better quality garage doors are available

Some garage doors aren’t just long in the tooth; their quality was suspect when they were originally manufactured to begin with.

In years gone by, some manufacturers of garage doors made garage doors that were, well, there’s no better word for it – cheap. Some were constructed of flimsy materials, whether fiberglass, metal or wood. They probably lacked insultation.

The rails were constructed with thinner-grade metal. The rollers were cheaper. The springs were brittle and lost their strength over time. Garage door openers were also subpar. But, above all, they looked cheap.

There are garage doors available today that are so visually superior that they’ll transform the look of your garage and enhance the value of your home. They still make metal, fiberglass and wooden garage doors. But if you purchase a quality garage door, the potential is tremendous.

Of course, if you’re happy with your current garage door, don’t overlook maintenance. That’s the key to keeping your garage door’s performance at the standard you expect.