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EXTENSION SPRINGS VS. TORSION SPRINGS

6/17/2016

6 Comments

 
If you call up a garage door company about a problem with your garage door, one of the questions they may ask is "Does your door use Extension Springs or Torsion Springs?" What does that even mean? All garage doors use springs to counter balance the weight of the door. Without the springs you wouldn't be able to even lift most doors. 

EXTENSION SPRINGS: Extension springs are located parallel to the horizontal track across the ceiling on both sides of the door. They lift the door through a series of cables and pulleys. 

TORSION SPRINGS: Torsion springs are mounted to the header above the top the door. You can see them from inside the garage when the door is closed. Torsion springs lift the door using torque applied to a shaft. 

Which spring system is better? In our opinion, and in the opinion of many overhead door companies, torsion springs are the way to go. However, in some instances extension springs may be necessary due to low headroom. Torsion springs are stronger and more durable. They offer smoother and more controlled movement, which helps keeps the door balanced correctly. A torsion spring setup uses less moving parts, with less parts there's less that can go wrong or wear out. Torsion springs generally cost more than extension springs, but the additional cost is well worth it. With all that said, extension springs are used in hundreds of thousands of garages. If for some reason, your garage can't accommodate a torsion spring, an extension spring will be just fine. 
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6 Comments
Braden Bills link
6/8/2021 09:47:28 am

I want to make sure that I take good care of my garage door. It makes sense that getting the right torsion springs would be important if I ever need to replace them. I'll be sure to know what kind my garage will need.

Reply
Braden Bills link
12/14/2021 09:15:28 am

My garage door has been making a lot of odd noises, and I think it might be an issue with the springs. It makes sense that getting the right spring system for it might be beneficial! That's definitely something worth looking into.

Reply
garage door spring repair link
8/25/2022 03:24:01 pm

I am glad that you have come up with this kind of blog. This will help a lot of people who did not know what kind of spring they have in their garage doors. I greatly appreciate this and found it very informative and worth reading. Thanks for posting.

Reply
Siding Contractors El Cajon link
9/2/2022 05:20:38 pm

Good reading your ppost

Reply
Mia Evans link
9/6/2022 12:05:16 am

Thanks for helping me understand that extension springs would be located parallel to the horizontal tracks on both sides of the doors across the ceiling. I guess that is the part with an issue that I noticed on our garage parts this evening. I was parking my car after coming home when I saw the problem, and I need to contact a garage door repair before accidents happen tomorrow morning.

Reply
Millie Hue link
11/9/2022 03:19:28 am

I appreciate that you explained that torsion springs would be mounted to the top of the door which we can see when it is closed. I just needed to know these parts because it will help us explain to professionals what might be causing the door from closing completely. From what I have seen, it seems like that part has a snapped piece.

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