Broken Garage Door Spring in Stone Mountain: Why We Replaced Both
We recently responded to a call in Stone Mountain, Georgia for a broken garage door spring. When we got there, we replaced both springs rather than just the one that failed — and the homeowner was very happy with the result. Here is what a broken spring means, why it is one of the most important repairs on a garage door, and why replacing springs in pairs is almost always the right call.
Why Springs Are the Hardest-Working Part of Your Door
Your garage door is the heaviest moving object in your home, usually weighing between 150 and 300 pounds. The springs are what carry that weight. Every time the door opens and closes, the springs do the heavy lifting so that the opener and your arms do not have to.
Because they carry so much load and cycle so many times, springs are also the part most likely to wear out and eventually break. A typical spring is rated for a set number of open-and-close cycles, and once it reaches the end of that life, it fails.
What Happens When a Spring Breaks
When a spring breaks, you will usually know it. Many homeowners hear a loud bang from the garage, almost like a firecracker, when a spring lets go under tension.
After that, the symptoms are hard to miss. The door suddenly feels extremely heavy and may not open at all. If you have an automatic opener, it may struggle, strain, or refuse to lift the door, because the opener was never designed to lift the full weight on its own. And attempting to force the door open with a broken spring puts dangerous strain on the entire system.
A broken spring is not a "wait and see" repair. The door is essentially out of service until it is fixed, and continuing to force it only causes more damage.
Why We Replaced Both Springs
This is the part that surprises a lot of homeowners. When one spring breaks, we almost always recommend replacing both — even if the second one has not failed yet. Here is why.
On a two-spring system, both springs are the same age and have gone through the same number of cycles. If one has reached the end of its life and broken, the other is very close behind. Replacing only the broken one usually means the second spring fails weeks or months later, resulting in another service call and another repair bill.
Replacing both at once also keeps the system balanced. Two springs of the same age and tension work together to lift the door evenly. Pairing a brand-new spring with a worn one throws off that balance, causes uneven wear, and puts extra strain on the opener.
In the end, replacing both springs together is the more cost-effective and reliable choice. It saves the homeowner a second trip charge, keeps the door properly balanced, and gives the whole system a fresh, matched set. That is exactly what we did on this Stone Mountain job.
A Note on Safety
Garage door spring replacement is not a DIY project. Springs hold an enormous amount of stored tension, and removing or installing them without the proper tools and training can cause serious injury. This is one of the most common sources of garage-door-related injuries. It is work that should always be left to a trained, insured technician.
Schedule Service with Top Dog Garage Doors
Top Dog Garage Doors provides garage door spring replacement, torsion and extension spring repair, and full garage door service for homeowners throughout Atlanta including Stone Mountain, Tucker, Decatur, Kirkwood, Oakhurst, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, and Marietta. Our technicians are licensed, insured, and background-checked.
If your garage door has a broken spring, or your door has suddenly become heavy and hard to lift, contact us. A broken spring leaves your door out of service and unsafe to operate — we will get it replaced quickly and correctly.
Top Dog Garage Doors | Atlanta, GA | 404-594-5444 | topdoggaragedoorsga.com