Garage Door Systems with Torsion Springs VS. Garage Door Systems with Extension Springs and Pulleys

Every type of garage door features a variety of different parts that help it open and close smoothly. Of these parts, few play a more important role than garage door springs. As tension is placed on these springs, they help spread the weight of the garage door out over the system so that door is easier to pull up and down. This tends to result in a lot less stress on the other working parts of the garage door system. Since garage door springs are necessary there is no question that you want them on your system. The only real question is whether you want garage door torsion or extension springs. Read on and you can decide for yourself.

The Two Main Types of Garage Door Springs

Most people unless they are home improvement specialists or garage door professionals have no idea what the two different types of garage door springs are. Here is a little bit about each of them:

• Extension Spring and Pulley Garage Door Systems

Extension springs have been around much longer than torsion springs. They are not as beefy as torsion springs and they are also located on the sides of a garage door above the tracks. This garage door spring type is also longer than torsion springs.

• Torsion Spring Garage Door Systems

Most updated garage doors now have this type of garage door spring on them. They are different than extension springs because they are located horizontally across the top front of a garage door opening. They are thicker and shorter than their extension spring counterparts.

The Advantages of Having a Torsion Spring Garage Door System

Why are torsion spring garage door systems the right choice for so many people? Here are a few of the advantages that they offer:

• Torsion springs do fully extend when operating

While extension springs tend to be stretched to their limit, this is not the case with garage door torsion springs. This means there is a lot less chance that they will break or need to be adjusted on a regular basis. They also slightly turn as they work which also keeps them from needing to be fully extended as they do their job.

• Torsion springs tend to be stronger and more durable

Torsion springs are thicker than their garage door extension spring cousins. This combined with the fact that they do not work fully extended gives them the ability to last much longer than springs on pulley-based garage door systems do. Torsion spring garage door systems are rated to work between 14,000 and 19,000 life cycles. Extension springs are estimated to have a working life of only 9,000 lifecycles. 

• Torsion springs allow for more efficient garage door operation

Those that have extension spring-based garage door systems often notice that their garage doors jerk back and forth when they are being opened and closed. This is not the case with torsion spring-based garage door systems. They tend to open much more smoothly.

• Garage doors with extension springs need more repairs

Because of the way they are designed with pulleys, extension spring garage door systems have many more working parts on them than torsion spring garage door systems do. It, therefore, stands to reason that over time extension spring-based garage door systems will need more repairs than torsion spring garage door systems. 

• Safety is a bigger concern with extension spring garage door systems

You do not want to be anywhere around a garage door extension spring if yours breaks. They are under so much pressure that this creates a violent and dangerous action. Torsion springs operate under less tension so they do not produce nearly as violent and action when they break.  

Consider Installing a Torsion Spring Garage Door System

While reading this you may have decided that you need to replace your existing extension spring and pulley garage door system. So, who do you call to help you with that? The best service providers to call our garage door professionals. Garage door companies such as Sandy Springs Garage Door, LLC out of Sandy Springs, Georgia have the expertise and equipment to easily change over any garage door spring system. Garage door professionals can also do this job at a much more affordable price than you might expect.

Experts Recommend Getting a Yearly 25-Point Garage Door Safety Inspection 

No matter what type of springs are on your garage door system, you should always consider having a 25-point yearly safety inspection done. This will let you know that your garage door is operating safely and efficiently. Here are the main items that most garage door 25-point safety inspections cover:

• Check the control keypads and remote controls to make sure they are working properly
• Test the garage door system safety sensors and other garage door safety features to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to as far as safety is concerned. 
• Inspect the garage door system for worn parts, corroded parts or parts that appear to be in a generally unsafe condition
• Check garage door spring tension to be sure that the springs have are not overly tight or in danger of breaking and becoming unsafe to be around
• Inspect the garage door track to make sure its alignment is in the proper position
• Completely examine the pulleys, rollers, and other working parts that have heavy loads placed on them when raising and lowering a garage door
• Check the garage door opener to make sure it's operating properly and is not getting too hot while it is working

Often during these low or no-cost safety inspections, a knowledgeable garage door specialist will also detect minor garage door problems. They then, in turn, can make repairs to that garage door system. This will most likely keep those repairs from becoming bigger and more expensive repair jobs on down the road. So being proactive and scheduling a garage door 25-point safety inspection every year is always a great idea.