Skip to content
SaugeenDoor SpecialistsOpen 24/7 (226) 909-6720
Illustrative garage doors scene — Extension Spring Replacement, Big Bay

Springs · Big Bay

Extension Spring Replacement

Open the door by hand and it drifts back down on its own, a little at first and then all at once. Nothing is broken that you can see, but the springs along the tracks look tired, rusty and slightly sagging.

In plain words

A spring visit follows a fixed order, so you know what to expect. The technician releases the opener, raises the door fully and clamps it, because an extension spring is at its slackest with the door open. Then both springs, the pulleys, cables, hangers and containment cables are inspected and the door is weighed. Old springs come off, new ones go on with containment cables threaded through, cables are routed over the pulleys and both sides are hooked at the same setting. The clamps come off, the door is balanced by hand, and only then is the opener reconnected, adjusted and put through its reversal tests.

Sound familiar?Big Bay

The call
One of the springs beside the track is hanging loose at the front end, its pulley dangling, and a length of cable lies slack along the top of the door. The door sits slightly crooked and the opener reverses whenever it tries to close.

NextHow the visit goes

Extension Spring Replacement · Big Bay

How the visit goes

Illustrative garage doors scene — Big Bay
  1. Scene 1

    Containment cables, present or missing

    The question the industry's own inspection checklist asks of every extension-spring door is whether each spring has a cable running through its centre, anchored at both ends. The technician checks for it on both sides, then checks its condition: a cable that is frayed, kinked, anchored to a loose screw or simply tied off to the hanger is not doing its job. Doors installed decades ago often have none at all, and doors that had a spring changed by a previous owner sometimes have one side fitted and one forgotten. Fresh containment cables go on with the new springs, and their anchor points are set into solid framing so that a spring which breaks stays on its cable.

  2. Scene 2

    Taking the old springs down

    With the door open and clamped, each old spring is nearly slack, and removal is straightforward. The technician unhooks the lift cable from its S-hook or clip at the front, which lets the spring's pulley end drop free, then lifts the rear loop off the hanger. The old containment cable is unclipped from its anchors and pulled out of the coil. On a door with a broken spring, the two halves are gathered and the containment cable, if there was one, is inspected for the marks of having done its job. Everything that comes down is laid out on the floor so the old spring can be measured against its replacement and you can see the wear.

  3. Scene 3

    The numbers that stay with the door

    Before leaving, the technician tells you what the door weighed, which spring rating and length went on, whether the pulleys and cables were renewed, and which hook position the cables were set to. Write it on a card by the opener or inside the door's manual. Extension springs are sold by rating and length, so the next set can be ordered from that card without weighing the door again, and a technician arriving later can see at a glance whether the door has been altered since. Add the date and roughly how many times a day the door is used; together those two facts give a fair idea of when the springs will be due again.

In the van

  • Track clamps or locking pliers
  • Door-weighing scale
  • Lag screws and hanger bolts
  • Garage-door spray lubricant
  • S-hooks and adjusting clips

What shapes the quoteSaugeen Door Specialists

Opener adjustment and testing
Resetting the opener's force and travel to the newly balanced door and running the reversal tests is a short task that the quote names when it applies.
Track or section damage found on the way
A bent horizontal track, a bracket pulled off the jamb or a top section twisted by running the opener on a broken spring is separate repair work, quoted on its own.
Door weight and size
Spring rating follows the door's weight, and a wide insulated door or a wood door takes heavier springs than a light single. Weight and height together set the parts on the quote.

FeesSame any hour

Have it ready

Before you call · 0 / 3

(226) 909-6720

Your questions, answered

I added insulation and windows to the door. Does that affect the springs?

Yes, and it is one of the more common reasons a pair of springs is suddenly found wanting. Insulation panels, glazed sections, a wood overlay or a new steel skin all add weight the original springs were never chosen for, so the door grows heavy and the opener strains. When the springs are replaced, the door is weighed as it is now, and the new pair is rated for the door you actually have.

Do the pulleys need replacing at the same time?

Often, yes. Each side has two pulleys, one on the spring and one fixed at the front of the track, and the cable rides over both on every trip. A pulley whose wheel has worn a sharp groove, or whose bearing has stiffened, drags on the cable and adds load the spring has to overcome, which is a common reason the old spring wore early. Pulleys that spin freely and run true can stay.

What is the difference between extension springs and torsion springs?

They balance the door in different places. Extension springs are the two long coils that run beside the horizontal tracks and stretch as the door closes; they work through pulleys and cables. A torsion spring is wound on a shaft above the door opening and turns drums that wind the cables. The parts, the way tension is set and the service itself are different, so it helps to say which you have when you call.

Big Bayinformation

GreyOntario

Town
Big Bay, Grey
In business
21 years
Hours
Open 24/7
Nights, weekends and holidays, same fees
Visits
On-site assessment preferred. Request a visit or call.

2021 census: what it means at the door

Every square is one home in a hundred.

  • 53 in 100 homes · older homes
  • About 53% of homes in Georgian Bluffs were built in 1980 or earlier, according to the 2021 Census.In a mature neighbourhood the garage door is often the single largest feature of the front elevation, so keeping the original look matters. Modern insulated doors come in raised-panel and carriage styles that echo the older designs while running on today's torsion hardware.
  • Single-detached houses make up about 93% of homes in Georgian Bluffs (2021 Census).In a neighbourhood of houses, each garage door is chosen by the household, so styles vary from one driveway to the next. When it is time for a new door, homeowners pick panel design, windows, colour and insulation freely, and we bring samples to compare against the siding.

Source: Statistics Canada, Census Profile

Open Big Bay in Google Maps

On-site assessment

Request a visit.

Open the door by hand and it drifts back down on its own, a little at first and then all at once.

(226) 909-6720, open 24/7.