How Much Does It Cost to Replace A Garage Door Spring?

How Much Does It Cost to Replace A Garage Door Spring?

Garage door springs are mechanical components used in the smooth running of a garage door. The open and close mechanism depends on it. With the passage of time, like all things mechanical it decays and requires a repair job or replacement. You can choose a garage door repair company fort worth to replace or repair it or you can do it on your own, if you have the knowledge and expertise of it. Here we will provide you guidelines on how much it costs to replace the garage door spring and its related modalities.

How Much Does It Cost to Replace A Garage Door Spring?

Types and functions of Garage Door Springs:

Generally, you can find two types of springs in your garage door. It can either be a torsion spring or extension springs. Manufacturers usually use extension springs as they are economical. Torsion springs can be ordered online only while extension springs can be found from the hardware store as well. Now let’s look at how either of them works.

• Torsion Spring:  In this type of spring pressure is created by tightly compressing the coils of the spring. This is usually achieved by a metal cable drum that tightens the spring when the door is lowered. Torsion spring is mounted horizontally over the garage door.
• Extension springs: Here pressure is created by the simple mechanism of stretching. They run parallel to the overhead tracks and get stretched out when the door is lowered.

Life of garage door springs:

The average life of a typical garage door spring is calculated at around 10,00 cycles which comes to 7-9 years assuming that it completes 4 cycles in a day.

• Cost of Replacing a garage door spring: The cost of replacing a garage door spring works on the principles of demand and supply. Where the demand is high and supply is low the cost is high and vice versa. The cost of replacement also depends on your location and the company you choose to replace it.  Let us now look at the cost of replacement for both types of garage door springs.
• Cost of replacing a torsion garage door spring: They are typically more expensive than extension springs. Their price can range anywhere between US$75-150 per spring. This includes both material and the labor. The springs alone cost US$30-100 each. Their average life span is 10,000-20,00 cycles or 8-15 years but it all depends on their usage.
• Cost of replacing extension door springs: Their replacement cost ranges between US$50-100 including both labor and the materials. The springs cost around US$15-45. They are cheaper than torsion springs and easier to install. Their life span is 8000-12000 cycles or 7-12 years. Their parts are mostly exposed therefore they wear quickly than torsion springs.

It is recommended that you change both the springs even if one is faulty. Chances are ripe that the other will follow suit soon and you will have to change it later. So, it’s better that when one is being replaced the other should too. Besides, the door would function smoothly when both are replaced. Springs in a tilt-up garage door cost less whereas in case of roll-up garage door the cost will be high.

Who should replace the garage door spring:

The garage door spring can be replaced by you or you can call professionals who will do it for you. The cost varies in both the cases. Let’s see what the cost entails in both the cases.

• If you are changing the springs: If you want to do the job by yourself, you will obviously save yourself the labor cost. We have already discussed the cost of the garage door springs. But you will require some additional tools to install them and their cost would be borne by you. These additional gadgets include clamps to hold the door in place while you do the replacement. You will also need safety gear like googles and gloves to secure yourself. You must also factor in the cost of time that you will spend on the replacement job. If you are new to the job you can take a whole day to change the springs.
• If you hire professional to change springs: The cost of replacement by professionals depend on your area, the company you choose to perform the job, the type of garage door you have, it’s condition, the springs you choose and the principles of demand and supply that we discussed earlier. Typically, it can range between US$200-400. It is always a good idea that you consult more than one company and get a quote of the replacement job. This way you will not be fleeced. Springs that cost more to buy cost more to install as well. This is a general rule followed by almost all companies.

Issues with garage door springs:

With usage the garage door springs deteriorate. This is normal like it happens with other mechanical parts. The problems with garage door springs can range from broken springs, imbalanced springs and noise or damaged safety cables. If the issues cannot be fixed by repairs than the obvious choice is replacing them with new ones.

DIY hacks:

You can do simple maintenance tasks that can extend the life of your equipment and keep it running smoothly. Firstly, keep a look out for loose nuts along the garage door and the track. You should also keep the springs, bearings, pulleys, rollers and other moving parts properly lubricated. This would reduce the noise and keep the equipment dust free. By performing such DIY tasks, you can also encounter some other issues which might require repairs too.

Conclusion:

Garage door springs may have to be changed with the passage of time. You should carry a survey on the cost of replacement before selecting one company. You should do the job of replacement only if you have the expertise for it otherwise let professionals handle it.

Guest Article.