There
are only two things that scare me. One of them is nuclear warfare.
The other one... is garage door springs.
There are 2 kinds of garage door
springs: extension springs, which get longer when the door
is lowered, and torsion springs, which "wind up"
as the door is closed.
I have a degree in Mechanical
Engineering. I know a little about springs and mechanisms. Garage
door torsion springs are EXTREMELY POWERFUL. There is literally
enough stored energy in a garage door torsion spring to kill a
person. Really. They are dangerous.
I will do anything on a house:
plumbing, electrical, gas piping, furnaces, roofing, windows,
etc... but I will NOT touch a garage door torsion spring. Every
torsion spring I have ever seen has a stern warning label about
needing qualified persons to service them. In this case the
warnings are to be taken VERY seriously.
Extension springs may be
removable by a do-it-yourselfer.
Maybe.
When the door is UP, the spring
is relaxed, and it could be removed and replaced. But if the door
were to move downward just a bit, it could come crashing down on
someone. I'm not even sure I would tackle an extension spring
replacement. I would want to hold the door from moving, by
clamping at least one big "C" clamp on each track.
Personally, as much as I hate
paying someone to do jobs around the house, garage door springs
are ONE THING that I am willing to hire out. I strongly recommend
that you pursue that option. Garage doors are the largest and
heaviest moving objects in a typical home. They must be treated
with respect. One false move could result in serious injuries, and
it could also result in damage to the door.
I suggest that you call around
and see what various garage door installers or service companies
charge to just come out and look at the project, and hire one
whose basic service fee sounds reasonable. Some may examine the
problem for free and give you a quote. I prefer to give them an
idea of what the problem is so they can come prepared with parts
and maybe do the repair on the spot.
Make a few calls and see what you
find.
Bruce W. Maki, Editor.
