Introduction:

Garage door springs break down. They are metallic parts and come with a specific age. Wear and tear take a toll on them and one day they stop working. In order to fix them you can choose a good service frisco plumber. But until it is fixed, can a garage door be opened? The answer is; yes, you can open a garage door with a broken spring. In this article we will explain to you how this can be done? Why it happens? And how to do deal with it.

Why Garage Door Springs break down?

Garage door springs are an integral part of the smooth functioning of a garage door. The weight of the garage door rests on these springs. They help in raising and lowering the gate. The door will be much difficult to lift if the springs are broken down or malfunctioning. A garage door has two types of springs; torsion or extension types. There could be two major reasons behind the failing of garage door springs.

Usage: Garage door springs are not meant to last forever. They take a heavy beating. On a daily basis they lift and lower the garage door. In many cases, they have to do this job over and over in one single day. Gradually they start to deteriorate and one day they break down. 

Low maintenance: Another common cause of the breaking down of garage door springs is that the owners do not take good care of them. They ought to be kept clean and oiled. If you don’t, dust and rust start rotting them. This paves the way for their early end. Regular maintenance enhances the life of your gadgets and equipment so always take proper care of them.

How to open a garage door with a broken spring:

Yes, the garage door can be opened with a broken spring but it is not advisable to so. It is difficult and laborious. You should do this if there is some pressing need. You should get professional help for it as soon as possible. It is both risky and dangerous to continue using a garage door with a broken spring. 

We now explain to you how you can open the garage door with a broken spring.

A word of caution though; this will be a temporary fix only. It is designed to help you get some important stuff or your car from the garage. You should strive to repair or replace the springs at the earliest. In order to open the garage door, you need to;

• Get a helper
• Get some tools

Let’s explain them a bit.

Get help from a friend:

You will need the help of family member or a friend or neighbor. You can’t do this on your own. Both you and your helper should be strong and healthy, as the task in hand requires heavy weight lifting.

Arrange tools:

You will require some stuff which will help you lift the garage door. This includes two ladders and a pair of crow or pry bars. The ladders should at least be six foot tall. They need to be as high as the opening of the garage door. 

The operation:

As you may have noticed by now you will do this job manually. Here is how to go about it.

• Place ladders on either side of the door.
• Insert the bars underneath the door and lift it up. You should lift enough so that you get a hold of the edge of the garage door.
• Now that you have grip on the edge of the door, you start raising it up. You should do this slowly and very carefully. One wrong move or the slip of the hand and you could seriously injure yourself or your property.
• Once the door is all the way up to the fully open position, use the vice grips attached to the tracks just below the door.
• Now move the ladders in the position and make the door rest on them. You can then remove the vice grips or as a safety precaution let them remain there.
• If vice grips are not available, you can use vice clamps. The clamps need to be very strong, able to withstand heavy pressure. Attach them to the lowest roller on the garage door.
• Now that the door is open, you can take out your car or other stuff that you need. Once again do not forget that this is a temporary fix and get help to inspect those springs.

Fixing of the springs:

The faulty springs can be repaired or replaced. Most likely, they will be replaced. Depending on what you prefer torsion springs would cost you more than extension springs. Torsion springs are more durable and last long. The cost of fixing would depend on your area, company, size of the garage door etc. On an average it can cost you approximately between US$-50-200.

Conclusion:

Garage doors are an important part of our modern homes. If they break down the normal functioning of a household is badly hampered. Garage door springs like any other mechanical components run down with the passage of time. Their maintenance ensures that you use them to their full capacity. If the springs break down you can open the garage door manually with the help of a friend and a few tools. You need to be very careful while performing this task as it involves deft handling and could harm you if you are not careful. Once the door is open you can take out the stuff you want from the garage and should obtain technical help at the earliest. The experts will inspect and suggest you the extent of maintenance required and the cost involved.