Your garage door spring does most of the heavy lifting — literally. Torsion springs bear the full weight of your door every single time it moves. In Colorado, where temperatures swing from below zero to 70°F in the same week, those springs expand and contract constantly, eating through their lifespan faster than in milder climates.
Most springs are rated for 10,000–20,000 cycles. At two trips per day, that's 7–14 years. But a snapped spring doesn't send a calendar invite. It announces itself suddenly — usually at 7 AM when you're already running late — leaving your car locked inside and your door hanging crooked.
The good news: springs usually give warning before they go. Here are the five signs to watch for.
The 5 Warning Signs
The Door Feels Heavier Than Usual
Try disconnecting your opener and lifting the door manually. It should feel almost weightless — that's the spring doing its job. If it feels like you're lifting a car hood, the spring has lost tension and is likely close to failing.
A Loud Bang From the Garage
A torsion spring snapping sounds like a gunshot. If you hear a loud bang from your garage — especially overnight or during a cold snap — there's a good chance a spring just let go. The door will likely be stuck in place when you go to use it.
Visible Gaps in the Spring Coil
Look at the torsion spring above your door. A healthy spring is a tight, even coil. If you see a gap — a section where the coils are pulled apart — the spring is broken. It's that simple. Call us before you try to use the door again.
The Door Opens Crooked or Jerks Upward
If only one spring fails on a two-spring system, the door will tilt to one side as it opens. You might also notice the opener straining, the cable going slack on one side, or the door jerking and stopping mid-travel. This puts extra stress on your opener motor.
The Door Won't Stay Open on Its Own
A correctly balanced door should stay open at any height without drifting. If yours creeps down when you prop it open halfway, the spring tension is off. This is an early warning sign — the spring is weakening but hasn't fully failed yet. Replacing it now costs less than an emergency call at midnight.
What Happens If You Ignore It
A door running on a failing spring overworks every other component. The opener motor — designed to sense a balanced door — compensates by pulling harder, burning out faster. Cables wear unevenly and can snap. Drums and pulleys take side-load stress they weren't designed for. What starts as a $200 spring replacement can become a $600 full-system repair if you wait too long.
When to Call vs. DIY
Lubricating squeaky springs with a garage door spray (not WD-40) is a legitimate DIY task and can extend spring life. Replacing a spring is not. A torsion spring under tension stores hundreds of foot-pounds of energy. Improper removal can launch hardware across the garage or cause the door to crash down. Every technician on our team has seen the aftermath of a DIY spring replacement gone wrong. Please don't.
Call us instead. A spring replacement takes about an hour, costs $150–$300 depending on the spring type, and comes with a labor warranty. We carry every common spring size on every truck and can usually be there the same day you call.
Spring Broken? We Can Be There Today.
Same-day spring replacement across Denver metro & the Front Range. Parts on the truck, done in an hour.
Call (720) 978-3104