You probably haven’t thought much about your garage door springs…until one breaks. You can call a professional, or try to replace the garage door yourself. Just know that this DIY project comes with hazards, especially if you are not that experienced with tasks like this. To help you tackle this problem, our team has compiled the following helpful tips. Read on to learn how to replace your garage door springs yourself!

Understand The Types of Garage Door Springs

Residential garage doors have one or two types of springs – torsion or extension. Heavy-duty torsion springs are mounted around a metal rod that runs parallel to the door. Extension springs are the long, lighter weight springs that run perpendicular to the door above the tracks. Be sure to purchase the right style spring, with the same length and diameter as the old springs.

Replacing Extension Springs

1. Remove all spring tension by opening the garage door and clamp it in place. Once in place, disconnect the garage door opener.
2. Mark the current placement of the pulley with tape so that it can be reinstalled at the same place.
3. Disconnect the spring from the track bracket and the spring pulley. A safety cable is threaded through the spring to hold it in place. Disconnect the safety cable from the bracket and remove the old spring.
4. Thread the safety cable through the new spring, attaching the spring to the track bracket.
5. Reattach the safety cable and the pulley. Make sure the wire from the pulley is kept away from the safety cable. Use the piece of tape that you attached before removing the pulley to make sure that the pulley is in the correct location.
6. Remove the clamps and connect the garage door opener.
7. Test the garage door to be sure that the replacement worked. If it doesn’t close all the way, or closes too quickly, inspect the location of the pulley and the extension spring hardware, adjusting as necessary.

Replacing Torsion Springs

1. Unplug the opener and clamp the garage door to the track so that the door cannot open when the tension is released on the springs.
2. Using a sturdy ladder, climb beside the winding cone at the end of the spring. Insert a winding bar (available on Amazon) into the winding cone to hold the spring in place. Test the force that you will be working with by pushing the winding bar up one quarter turn and then bringing it back down. Once satisfied with the grip on the winding bar, loosen the screw set. Keep one bar in the cone at all times to prevent it from rapidly unwinding and potentially injuring you.
3. Lower the winding bar to the top of the garage door, then insert a second winding bar. Remove the first winding bar and lower the second bar to the top of the garage door, then insert the first winding bar into the next hole. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the spring is completely unwound.
4. Loosen and remove the torsion hardware that secures the center stationary torsion cones to the spring bracket.
5. Remove the springs, cables, and cable drums.
6. For torsion springs, measure the wire size, inside diameter of the spring (most springs have a 2-inch inside diameter), spring length, and determine the winding orientation (whether the spring is left-wound or right-wound).
7. Slide the new left spring onto the torsion tube with the stationary cone facing the center bracket, then reinstall the cable drum.
8. Install the center bearing and the new right spring and then secure the cones.
9. Thread the cables and tighten the drums. Make sure that the tension is equal on both sides to prevent the door from opening unevenly.
10. Using the winding bars, begin winding the spring in the opposite direction as it was unwound. Ensure that at least one winding bar is in the winding cone at all times. Wind the spring as many turns as is recommended by the supplier.
11. Using a hammer, tap the winding bar to stretch the spring out ¼-inch.
12. Tighten the set screws on the winding cone.
13. Lubricate the spring with garage door lubricant, then remove the clamp from the garage door.
14. Test the spring by lifting the door about 3 feet. If the door remains in place, the replacement was a success. If the door falls, you’ll need to tighten the spring by a quarter turn until it stays open on its own. If the door opens, you’ll need to loosen the spring by a quarter turn until it remains in place.

We hope these tips help! When in doubt, contact a professional at Info@adamsdoorsystems.com!

(Source: Bob Vila)

Wondering if your garage door is working properly? As commercial and residential garage door professionals, we’ve seen it all! In this article we will go over the top 3 signs your garage door isn’t working properly, and what you can do about it. 

1. Garage Door Won’t Open

If your garage door isn’t opening when you press the button from your car, it could be a sign that the transmitter has gone bad. To check if it is the batteries from your car’s transmitter, try pressing the button from the wall inside your garage. If the door still opens, you will need to replace the batteries in the car. Since most batteries are installed at the same time, you will likely need to change the batteries in the wall’s transmitter soon as well.

2. Garage Door Opens But Won’t Close When The Remote Is Pressed

If you are experiencing this problem, it most likely means the photo eyes, which transmit a beam across the floor to prevent doors from closing on objects, may be dirty. This dirt will block the beams and prevent the garage door from closing. These photo eyes can also eventually become misaligned. To fix this problem, gently clean the photo eyes with a soft cloth and a mild, streak free cleaner. To test the alignment, measure the distance of the photo eyes from the ground up and use a level to make sure they are pointing directly across from one another. 

3. You Hear A Rubbing Noise When Your Garage Door Opens

If you are hearing a rubbing noise when your garage door opens at a certain point each time, it could indicate your tracks are misaligned. This is a serious issue, as the weight of the door can exacerbate the problem until it becomes a danger to operate the garage door. If the door is not moving at all, you should call in the professionals. Otherwise, you can realign the track by loosening the screws and gently tapping the track with a rubber mallet until it is back in position. This should be done to both tracks. Be sure to securely tighten the screws to ensure the track will not move any further.

Looking for more DIY tips and knowledge? Contact our team at Info@adamsdoorsystems.com today!

Garage doors are pretty straightforward. Simply press a button and watch them go up, then come down. This occurs nearly every day. However, even the most reliable garage doors will eventually experience functionality issues. In this article we will discuss the top four garage door problems you may encounter, and how to handle them like a pro!

1. Noisy Garage Door

Is your garage door making more noise than usual? Typically a screeching, grinding, or squeaking noise can indicate a lack of lubrication. Applying lubricant to the rollers and tracks can help silence the ruckus. If the problem persists, some parts, such as hinges, may need to be replaced. Luckily this problem is not always serious.

2. Frozen Garage Door

Those of you who live in colder climates may be all too familiar with this garage door problem! Thanks to a combination of moisture and cold, sometimes garage doors will get stuck to the floor. Rather than pressing the opener over and over again, try to melt the ice! A hair dryer or heat gun works wonderfully. Or with a careful eye, you can use a shovel to chip away the ice. Being sure to remove snow, water, and ice from your garage door area will prevent freezing from recurring.

3. Unresponsive Remote Control

Opening your garage door is easy! When the remote control is working. Typically when the remote stops responding, it is because the device needs new batteries. If replacing the batteries does not solve the problem, you may need a new device. To check that the problem is with the remote as opposed to the door, you can open your garage with the manual wall switch.

4. Worn Out or Broken Springs

Has your garage door been struggling to open? This could indicate the springs are wearing out. Springs are an integral part of the garage door system, so it is imperative to make sure they are in working order. Due to the high pressure and risk, replacing the springs is a job best left to professionals.

Have questions concerning your garage door? Our qualified team of professionals will be happy to help you! Contact us at Info@adamsdoorsystems.com today!