Garage Door Spring Repair on Long Island

The springs do the heavy lifting on a garage door. When one snaps, the weight it was carrying is suddenly back on the opener and on you. Island Door Pros in Plainview describes it the way most homeowners do: a loud bang from the garage, and then a door that will not open or feels dangerously heavy.

Sumo Garage Doors in Westbury says not to run the door again until it is repaired, because the opener strains against a dead spring.

Spring prices from three Long Island companies

Island Door Pros says most spring jobs are done in under an hour. Precision Garage Door Service of Long Island, based in Farmingdale, does not publish a spring price, because a technician has to measure the door first, but says its usual $69 service call is waived when you go ahead with a repair.

Torsion springs or extension springs

Look above the door opening. Precision tells the two apart like this:

• Torsion springs are mounted above the opening and secured to a shaft that runs the width of the door.
• Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks on each side, stretching as the door closes. Island Door Pros calls them the older system and prices them slightly lower.

The drawing on this page shows a torsion assembly: the spring, its two cones, the cable drum and the shaft it all rides on.

Cycle ratings decide how long the new spring lasts

Springs are sold by how many cycles they are built for, and Precision counts one cycle as a single trip up and down. The springs common on the market are rated anywhere from 5,000 to 15,000 cycles, Precision says, while its own are rated for 25,000 to 50,000 or more. Island Door Pros carries 25,000 cycle springs and says they last roughly three to four times longer than 10,000 cycle springs, at a higher price. Expo Garage Doors in Roslyn says it uses springs rated for 10,000 cycles or more.

Island Door Pros also notes that coastal humidity and salt air shorten spring life on Long Island, which matters if you live near the water.

A house where the garage door is the main way in and out runs up cycles fast. Ask for the rating in writing, and compare quotes on the same rating.

Why the second spring usually goes too

If both springs on your door went in at the same time, they have done the same number of cycles. Precision says that when one breaks, the second spring’s life expectancy has just about expired, and replacing both avoids another breakdown and extra strain on the opener. In Island Door Pros’ table, the pair runs $240 to $310 against $175 to $220 for one.

Why springs are not a weekend project

DASMA, the Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association, calls the garage door the largest moving appliance in most homes and notes that its operation requires a high degree of spring tension. Warning labels, installation instructions and industry publications all acknowledge the risk of injury, DASMA’s Joe Hetzel writes, which is why the association urges everyone to use a trained door systems technician for spring repairs. Expo calls DIY spring replacement dangerous because of the torque and tension in the spring.

What to ask on the phone

• Is the price for one spring or both? If it is one, what is the price for the pair?
• What cycle rating are the new springs?
• Do you check the cables and rollers while you are there, and what would those add?
• What is the warranty on the springs and on the labor?
• What is your Nassau or Suffolk license number?

If a phone quote lands far below the ranges in the table, or the price rises after the tech has seen the door, get a second company on the phone before you agree.