2026-03-28 7 min read
If you've owned a home in Lynnfield for more than a few years, you know that the weather here puts everything to the test. Temperatures regularly swing from the low 20s in January to the low 80s in July, and our winters bring freezing rain, heavy snow, and the kind of cold that makes metal brittle. Your garage door springs feel all of it. every single cycle.
Springs are the unsung workhorse of your garage door system. Most homeowners never think about them until something goes wrong. But by the time a spring snaps, you're usually looking at a door that won't budge, a potentially damaged opener, and a repair call that could have been avoided. Here's what to watch for before it gets to that point.
Torsion springs mount horizontally above the door opening and use torque to lift the door. They're the standard on most modern homes and tend to be more durable. Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks on either side and work by stretching. You'll find these more often on older Cape Cod and ranch-style homes. both of which are extremely common throughout Lynnfield and neighboring Wakefield.
Regardless of type, both systems are under significant tension at all times. That stored energy is what makes a 150,300 lb door feel light enough to open with one hand. When the springs weaken or break, that weight lands squarely on your opener. and then on you.
This is often the first sign homeowners notice. If your garage door suddenly feels difficult to lift manually, or your opener is straining noticeably, the springs may no longer be doing their share of the work. As noted in our cable repair guide, the spring and cable systems are closely linked. a failing spring puts immediate stress on your cables too.
A spring breaking under tension releases a significant amount of stored energy all at once, and the sound can be alarming. often described as a gunshot or a car backfiring. If you hear this sound and your door suddenly stops working, a spring has almost certainly snapped. Stop using the door immediately and call a professional.
With torsion springs, a break shows up as a visible gap of roughly two inches or more in the coil. Extension springs may not show a clean gap but can look overstretched or saggy. Either way, a broken spring is not capable of supporting the door's weight and needs to be replaced right away. not next week.
If your door looks lopsided as it moves, or one side rises faster than the other, that's a strong sign that one spring has failed while the other is still holding. This kind of imbalance creates uneven wear across your tracks, rollers, and cables, and it's only a matter of time before a second failure follows. You can check the services page to learn more about how a full system inspection catches these issues early.
Lynnfield's climate brings plenty of humidity in summer and freeze-thaw cycles through late fall and early spring. That moisture exposure causes springs to rust over time, and a rusty spring is a more brittle spring. It loses tension faster and is more prone to snapping under load. If you see orange discoloration on your springs, don't ignore it.
Garage door openers are designed to guide a properly balanced door. not to lift the full weight on their own. If your opener sounds like it's working overtime, stops before the door is fully open, or reverses unexpectedly, it's likely compensating for a weak or broken spring. Continuing to run the opener in this condition can burn out the motor and strip gears, turning a spring repair into a much more expensive job.
Most standard springs are rated for somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 cycles. One cycle equals one full open and close. If your household uses the garage door four times a day. which is common for families in commuter-friendly towns like Lynnfield. you're looking at roughly 1,500 cycles per year. That puts the realistic lifespan at 7 to 10 years under normal use, though heavy usage or extreme temperature swings can shorten that considerably.
If your springs are approaching that age range, it's worth scheduling a proactive inspection rather than waiting for a failure. See our FAQ page for more on what a routine maintenance visit typically covers.
This is the one garage door repair where we'll be direct: don't attempt it yourself. Springs are tightly wound and store enormous mechanical energy. When released improperly, that energy can cause serious injury. broken fingers, facial injuries, or worse. Proper replacement requires specialized winding bars and the training to use them safely. Even experienced DIYers can miscalculate spring tension and end up with a door that drops without warning.
When one spring breaks, it's also smart to replace both at the same time. If one has worn out, the other is likely close behind. and replacing them together ensures even tension and a longer service life going forward.
Q: Can I still use my garage door if a spring is broken? A: No. Operating a door with a broken spring puts extreme stress on the opener motor and can cause the door to drop unexpectedly. Stop using the door and call for service.
Q: How do I know if I have torsion or extension springs? A: Torsion springs are the horizontal coil(s) mounted directly above the door opening. Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks on either side of the door. If you're unsure, contact us and we can walk you through it.
Q: Is it worth replacing both springs even if only one broke? A: Yes, almost always. If one spring has worn out, the other is under the same amount of fatigue. Replacing both at the same time saves you a second service call and keeps the door balanced.