The most common garage door failure — and the most dangerous to ignore
When a garage door suddenly refuses to open, slams shut, or feels impossibly heavy, a broken spring is the culprit nine times out of ten. Springs do all the heavy lifting: a standard double-car door weighs 150 to 250 pounds, and the springs counterbalance nearly every ounce of it so your opener — or your arm — only has to move a few pounds. When a spring snaps, that entire weight lands on components that were never designed to carry it. Running the opener with a broken spring can burn out the motor, bend the top panel, or snap the cables, turning a straightforward repair into a far more expensive one.
