2026-03-17 6 min read
Most Burlington homeowners don't give their garage door springs a second thought. right up until the door won't open. It's one of those things that works invisibly for years, and then one morning you hear a loud bang from the garage and suddenly you're calling around for emergency repair. The thing is, springs almost always give you warning before they fail completely. You just have to know what to look for.
This is especially relevant in Alamance County, where a significant portion of the housing stock dates from the 1960s through the 1990s. Those homes. the ranch-style brick houses in East Burlington, the Colonial Revivals in West Burlington subdivisions. often still have their original spring systems. Decades of use add up.
Torsion springs sit horizontally above the garage door opening and use torque to lift and lower the door. They're the standard on most modern homes and tend to be more durable. Extension springs run along the sides of the door opening and are more common in older systems. Both types do the same core job: they counterbalance the full weight of the door. often 150 to 300 pounds. so the opener motor doesn't have to do all that work alone.
Springs are rated by cycles, not years. One cycle equals one full open and close. A standard spring is rated for around 10,000 cycles, which works out to roughly 7 to 10 years for a household using the door two to four times a day. High-cycle springs can last significantly longer, but cost more upfront.
For Burlington homes with multiple vehicles and busy families commuting toward Greensboro on I-40/85, that cycle count can add up faster than you'd expect.
This is one of the most reliable early signs. If your garage door suddenly feels difficult to lift manually. or if the opener seems to strain, hum, or stop mid-lift. the springs may no longer be doing their share of the work. Springs are designed to carry most of the door's weight. When they weaken or break, that load shifts entirely to the opener motor, which isn't built for it. Continued use in this state can burn out the motor or strip gears.
Disconnect the opener and manually raise the door to about waist height, then let go. A properly balanced door should stay in place. If it slides back down or drops quickly, the springs have lost tension. This is a clear sign the system needs attention.
When a torsion spring breaks under tension, it releases stored energy all at once. and it's loud. Homeowners often describe it as a gunshot or a car backfiring inside the garage. If you heard that sound and now the door won't operate normally, a broken spring is almost certainly the cause. Stop using the door and contact us to schedule a repair before the situation gets worse.
Look at your springs directly. Are there visible gaps between the coils? Does the metal look rusty or discolored? Is the spring visibly stretched out or sagging? Rust makes springs brittle and more prone to snapping. A stretched spring has lost the tight tension needed for proper function. Burlington's humid climate. classified as humid subtropical. accelerates corrosion on unprotected metal, so springs here can show these signs faster than in drier parts of the country.
If the door rises unevenly, dips to one side, or gets stuck partway up, one spring may be weaker or already broken while the other is still working. This uneven tension forces the tracks, rollers, and cables to compensate. and continued use can pull the door off track entirely, turning what could have been a simple spring replacement into a much bigger repair bill.
Garage door spring replacement is not a DIY project. Springs are under extreme tension and store significant mechanical energy. Without the right tools. specifically winding bars and proper clamps. attempting to remove or replace them can result in serious injury. A 150- to 300-pound door can drop suddenly without spring support. The risk isn't worth it, regardless of how handy you are around the house.
If you want to understand how your sensors and safety systems interact with your door's mechanical components, our guide on sensor calibration for homeowners covers that side of the system in detail.
A proper spring replacement involves more than just swapping out the broken part. A technician should inspect the springs, cables, rollers, and opener to confirm the issue and check for related damage. The right spring type and tension rating need to match the actual weight of your door. not just a generic replacement. After installation, the door balance, opener performance, and safety features should all be tested. Most spring replacements take 60 to 90 minutes when done correctly.
Garage Door Burlington serves homeowners throughout the Burlington area and surrounding communities. If you're unsure whether your springs are nearing the end of their cycle life, a quick inspection now is far less disruptive than an emergency call later. You can review what to expect from a service visit on our frequently asked questions page.
How do I know if I have torsion springs or extension springs? Torsion springs are mounted horizontally above the door opening. you'll see one or two thick coiled springs running along a metal bar above the door. Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks on either side of the door opening and stretch when the door closes. If you're unsure, a quick look with the door closed should make it clear.
Can I use my garage door with a broken spring temporarily? No. and this is important. Using the door with a broken spring puts extreme strain on the opener motor and can cause additional damage to cables, tracks, and rollers. There's also a safety risk: without proper spring tension, the door can fall unexpectedly. Treat a broken spring as an out-of-service situation until it's repaired.
How long do replacement springs typically last? Standard torsion springs are typically rated for around 10,000 cycles. High-cycle springs can be rated for 25,000 to 50,000 cycles and are worth considering if your household uses the garage door frequently. Ask your technician about cycle ratings when scheduling a replacement. the upfront cost difference is often modest compared to the extended lifespan.