Garage door spring replacement in Des Moines

The short version

Springs do the heavy lifting on a garage door. A typical two-car steel door weighs well over a hundred pounds, and the springs counterbalance almost all of it so the opener, or your arm, only has to guide it. When a spring breaks, that weight is suddenly back on the door.

How to tell a spring is broken

• You heard a loud bang from the garage, like a firecracker, with nothing visibly wrong.
• The opener runs, the door rises a few inches or not at all, then stops or reverses.
• Above the door, the long coiled spring on the steel shaft has a gap of an inch or two in it.
• The door feels far heavier than usual if you try to lift it with the opener released.
• On older doors with springs along the side tracks, one spring hangs loose or is stretched open.

Why springs break more in Iowa winters

Every spring is rated for a number of open and close cycles, and a common standard spring is rated for around ten thousand. Wear and rust use those cycles up, and cold makes the steel stiffer and less forgiving. That’s why so many springs in the Des Moines area snap on a below-zero morning, on the first lift after a cold night. Salt and moisture carried in on cars add surface rust, which speeds up the wear.

What spring replacement costs

National cost guides put replacing both torsion springs at roughly $150 to $350, including parts and labor, and both extension springs at roughly $120 to $200. Angi reports a national average of about $250. Heavier doors, insulated doors and doors that need new cables or bearings at the same time land at the higher end. Treat these as a starting point and ask the provider for a total before work begins.

Why both springs are usually replaced

Most double doors use two torsion springs installed at the same time, so when one breaks the other has seen the same number of cycles and is close behind. Replacing both keeps the door balanced and saves a second trip. Many pros will also offer higher-cycle springs, which cost more upfront but last longer on a door that runs several times a day.

What a proper spring job includes

• Measuring the old spring and weighing or calculating the door so the new springs match it.
• Checking the lift cables and drums, which take a hit when a spring lets go.
• Setting the tension so the door stays put when released halfway up.
• Lubricating the springs, testing the opener’s auto-reverse, and adjusting its force settings.

Getting it done

Spring jobs are the most common garage door repair, and most local pros carry common sizes on the truck. Call or send the form, say that a spring is broken, and mention whether the door is stuck open or closed. Related pages: cable and off-track repair and urgent and after-hours requests.