Anyone know anything about garage door repair.

Looking for do-it-yourselfers.... The springs on my garage door are very old, bent, and loose. The door is jamming in the track because the springs can't put even tension on both sides of the door.

It is a 7-foot door with a Kenmore opener. I have found several sites that offer replacement springs, but they all want to know how heavy the door is.

How can I know how heavy my door is?

Thanks....

Unless you know garage door repair its best to have it done, the springs are pretty dangerous and its where many injuries involving DIY garage door repairs occur. Please call a professional, they will do the job quickly and safely, its probably a two hour job or less for spring replacement ( if done professionally).

Be very careful replacing the springs. People have been killed working on garage door springs.

Is the door wood, steel or fiberglass? I assume there is no label on the old door or springs?

I definitely don't want to die over a garage door. Guess I'll call someone.

BTW, the door is pressed wood with three plexi windows. 8X7

Bat-mite said:

I definitely don't want to die over a garage door. Guess I'll call someone.

BTW, the door is pressed wood with three plexi windows. 8X7

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That will be a very heavy door then.

Bat-mite said:

I definitely don't want to die over a garage door. Guess I'll call someone.

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Probably a wise decision. Many years ago I was not so smart and decided to replace the panel that the spring was attached to. Thought I had rigged an ingenious system to hold the tension on the spring while I removed the panel. While I was working on the other side, the spring let loose. I changed my underwear and called an expert.

Mr Rocket said:

Probably a wise decision. Many years ago I was not so smart and decided to replace the panel that the spring was attached to. Thought I had rigged an ingenious system to hold the tension on the spring while I removed the panel. While I was working on the other side, the spring let loose. I changed my underwear and called an expert.

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Glad I asked! I will call someone today. Thanks, all.

Even if you do know what you're doing, adjusting those springs is a four-handed job.
Maintenance tip: Keep those springs greased so that they a) resist pitting and b) the coils don't chatter against each other when the spring twists....that causes vibration which could break the spring. White lithium grease in a spray can works well for this: it's easy to apply, will seep between the coils, and can be built up in layers.

I replaced my garage door springs a few years ago, and was VERY careful not to pass in front of the winding bars when tensioning the springs. If you aren't 100% confident in doing this job you should definitely pay someone to do it for you.

I won't touch those springs.
Everyone can learn from their mistakes. Wise men learn from others' mistakes.

Best -- Terry
...who has never forgotten a mistake, so he can keep making them over and over...

If the springs are torsional springs, then I second everyone else's advice above. If they're linear, it MAY be reasonable to detension and remove them yourself then lift the door to see how heavy it is. On the third hand, if you're asking it's probably not obvious.

I have linear springs on my garage door. Some time ago, I led a small wire cable down the center of the springs to help keep them contained if they somehow came loose. I dunno if it really helps, but it makes me feel better.

yer prolly about 300 lbs for that door if its 1 1/2" thick.
springs arent too bad to do IF youre handy and think safely. some good (and some bad) vidoes in the YT.

I had a garage door spring break many years ago. No one was in the garage at the time as we were in the house when it let go. Sounded like a rifle going off. Those suckers have some energy stored in them.

A spring job is probably $200-400. Next question is what's your ER deductible, ambulance coverage, and life insurance like?

In my home growing up, we had one of those pressed wood garage doors. Heavy sucker, not like the metal ones I've got now. Anyway, the door from the garage to the inside of the house was hollow core relatively thick steel. When one of the springs went out, a shard of it went clear through the garage-facing side of the steel door and poked out through the inside-facing side. Would have gone through flesh like warm butter.

boatgeek said:

If the springs are torsional springs, then I second everyone else's advice above. If they're linear, it MAY be reasonable to detension and remove them yourself then lift the door to see how heavy it is. On the third hand, if you're asking it's probably not obvious.

I have linear springs on my garage door. Some time ago, I led a small wire cable down the center of the springs to help keep them contained if they somehow came loose. I dunno if it really helps, but it makes me feel better.

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John, it sounds like you're going to go the professional route; good idea especially with a torsional spring (if that's what you have).

To the boatgeek, years back, a linear tension spring broke in my mother's garage and put a good ding in the roof of her car. I installed the safety cable through the old spring and the new replacement spring. When I got my own place, I added the cables and it paid off when the anchor hook on one of the springs let go. My condo association just replace the old pressed wood door with a nice steel insulated door including all new hardware. The springs are a smaller diameter than before but they were put up with the safety cable inside them.

Any device you can add to improve the safety of your garage door system is well worth it. Things wear out or break all the time and a few bucks and some time will save you a lot down the road.

Call Overhead Door, they are everywhere, be sure it's the real one. Many go by some such name.
They are very reasonable.

I ran I tire store many years ago that as you can imagine had very large roll up bay doors- these had about 15 panes of glass as well. One night when closing up , I was in the office doing paper work and heard the commotion- a bay door was stuck up and before I could stop him , one of the shop guys was cutting the support cable-
It wasnt pretty .......

I drifted my car into my garage door and had to replace it. Both it and the new one were a light foam like material with a veneer for some structure. It is a 2 person job and took us all day since we are not pros. We left the old track and mounts alone. We did have to looses some things for a good fit.

The springs are tightest with the door down. Most openers have a release so you can open the door manually in the even of power loss. If you release it, then lift the door (blocked open) it will have the least tension for any chance to disconnect the springs / weigh the door.

The springs should have a steel cable running through the coil to keep things together should something slip.

I'd recommend calling someone as well unless you don't mind projects like that and have a friend or two that changed one out before.

Those springs are seriously scary. If you can think ahead, work methodically and safely you might be able to do the job yourself. They have a lot of energy. I fixed a door once a few years back. The next time I had to deal with a similar door I called the professionals.

torsion springs, no do. Linear pull (I have them in my Y2K house) are a snap. Up with the door and use a vice clamp in the track to keep it from coming down, no torsion, one side out, then the other. You then have to take off the safety and thread a new one on & reverse the process. easy peazy.

OverTheTop said:

Those springs are seriously scary. If you can think ahead, work methodically and safely you might be able to do the job yourself. They have a lot of energy. I fixed a door once a few years back. The next time I had to deal with a similar door I called the professionals.

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I’m glad I’m not the only one that’s afraid of these things. Large springs (especially torsion springs) and compressed air make me extremely uncomfortable. Even the air systems on the machines I work on make me uneasy. The idea of all that energy balled up and ready to get me inspires a bit of caution.

You want scary... Try an A/C system with a bad hi-side switch. That spells "boom," and does $10K in bulkhead damage and takes out one set of dual tires.

I've got a busted spring on my 200# door. Don't open it often, but when I do, I have to prop it up with a 2x4. One of these days, I might actually fix it.

I worked in the truck/trailer repair field for many years and have repaired or replaced several roll-up doors. As others have stated, you do not want replace or readjust the springs/cables without knowing what your doing. One of my co-workers tore off 2 knuckles when he got his hand tangled in the cable and the bar he had holding the spring tension slipped (never should have been working on the cables without releasing the spring tension).

If I ever find myself in need of a garage door opener, I'd definitely be buying one of the wall mounted types... No need to waste all that space to put a ceiling mounted one in the middle of the garage.

K'Tesh said:

If I ever find myself in need of a garage door opener, I'd definitely be buying one of the wall mounted types... No need to waste all that space to put a ceiling mounted one in the middle of the garage.

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Unless you have absolutely no extra wall space, between cabinets and large power tools, ceiling space isnt really wasted as you cant easily store stuff there.

rharshberger said:

Unless you have absolutely no extra wall space, between cabinets and large power tools, ceiling space isnt really wasted as you cant easily store stuff there.

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I've seen shelves that are mounted on hinges that can be swung up and over the opened garage door, also racks can be installed up there to hold long items such as rockets, skis, ladders, or kayaks.