Your garage door springs do the real heavy lifting every time the door opens, counterbalancing a door that can weigh well over a hundred pounds. They are also the part most likely to wear out, and unlike most components, their life is measured in cycles rather than years. Here is what to expect and how to get the most out of them.
Springs Are Rated in Cycles, Not Years
One cycle is one full open and one close. Standard torsion springs are typically rated for about 10,000 cycles. How many years that translates to depends entirely on how often you use the door. Open and close it twice a day and 10,000 cycles lasts roughly seven years. Use it four or more times a day, as many families do when the garage is the main entrance, and the same springs may last only four to five years.
Typical Lifespan
- Standard springs (about 10,000 cycles): roughly 7 to 9 years at average household use.
- High-cycle springs (20,000 to 30,000+ cycles): last roughly two to three times longer. They cost a bit more up front but are well worth asking about if your door gets heavy daily use.
What Shortens Spring Life
- Frequent use, the single biggest factor.
- Cold weather and temperature swings, which stress the metal, see our guide to cold weather and garage doors.
- Lack of lubrication and maintenance, which lets the springs and hardware wear faster.
- An unbalanced door or the wrong-size spring, which forces the spring to work harder than it should.
- Rust, which weakens the coils over time.
Signs Your Springs Are Wearing Out
Watch for a door that feels very heavy when you lift it by hand, an opener that suddenly strains, a loud bang from the garage (a snapped spring), a visible gap in the torsion spring above the door, or a door that will not stay open halfway. Our guide to the signs of a broken garage door spring covers what to look for.
Can You Make Them Last Longer?
Yes, to a point. Lubricating the springs and hardware a couple of times a year, keeping the door balanced, and getting an annual tune-up all help the springs reach their full cycle life. Our guide to lubricating a garage door shows how. When it is time to replace them, consider upgrading to high-cycle springs.
Replace Both Springs at the Same Time
If your door uses two springs and one breaks, it is almost always worth replacing both. The second spring is the same age and has the same wear, so it is likely to fail soon after, and doing them together saves you a second repair visit. If you want to know what that costs, see our guide to garage door spring repair cost in Atlanta.
Important: garage door springs are under extreme tension and are dangerous to adjust or replace yourself. Our team handles garage door spring repair with same-day service across metro Atlanta and a free on-site estimate. If your springs are near the end of their life, we will replace them safely and can set you up with longer-lasting high-cycle springs.