2026-04-13 7 min read
If you've ever heard a loud bang from your garage and found your door completely frozen in place, there's a good chance a spring just let go. It's one of the most common. and most jarring. garage door failures in Lakewood. And with our wide temperature swings, from January lows near 20°F all the way up to July highs pushing 87°F, springs here take a beating that shortens their lifespan faster than in more temperate climates.
Your garage door is heavy. a typical double-car steel door weighs anywhere from 150 to 300 pounds. Springs do the real work of counterbalancing that weight so your opener motor doesn't have to strain on every cycle. Without functioning springs, even the beefiest opener can't safely lift the door.
There are two main types you'll encounter in Lakewood homes:
- Torsion springs. mounted horizontally above the door opening, these coil around a metal rod and are the standard in most modern sectional doors. They're safer and tend to last longer. - Extension springs. installed along the sides of the door track and stretch as the door closes. Common in older homes across neighborhoods like Applewood and Eiber, which have a healthy stock of mid-century and split-level builds.
If you're not sure which type you have, a quick look above and beside your door will tell you.
Springs rarely fail without giving you some advance notice. Here's what to watch for:
The loud bang. This is usually the moment of failure. a sharp snap loud enough to sound like something heavy fell in the garage. If you hear this while the door is idle, stop using it immediately.
The door feels impossibly heavy. Pull the emergency release cord and try to lift the door manually. A properly balanced door should feel like about 10,15 pounds of resistance. If it feels like lifting a refrigerator, the springs aren't doing their job.
Visible gap in the coil. Look at the torsion spring above your door. Healthy coils touch each other. A gap of an inch or two in the coil is a clear sign the spring has broken.
Door won't stay open halfway. Lift the door to about waist height and let go. It should stay put. If it drifts back down, that's a balance problem tied to spring wear.
Opener strains and stops mid-cycle. Your opener will try to compensate for a failing spring. and it won't last long doing so. Running an opener against a broken spring can burn out the motor entirely.
Standard springs are rated for roughly 10,000 cycles. one cycle being one open and one close. For the average household using the door 3,5 times a day, that works out to somewhere between 7 and 12 years. High-cycle springs rated for 20,000,50,000 cycles are available and well worth considering, especially given Lakewood's temperature extremes. Cold snaps and freeze-thaw cycles add stress to metal, and if your springs aren't lubricated regularly, rust becomes a real factor that cuts their life short.
If you use your garage as the main entry point to your home. which is common in neighborhoods like Green Mountain and Friendly Hills. your springs may be cycling 8,10 times a day, meaning they could wear out in half the expected time. Regular lubrication and a once-a-year inspection go a long way. Our garage door maintenance checklist covers exactly what to look for season by season.
Here's an honest breakdown of what you can expect to pay in the Denver metro area:
- Single torsion spring replacement: $150,$350 (parts and labor) - Double spring replacement (most common for two-car doors): $250,$400 - Extension spring pair: $120,$240 - Emergency/same-day service: Add $50,$100 or more
The biggest factor beyond spring type is quality. Budget springs rated for 5,000,10,000 cycles will cost less upfront but may need replacing in five years. Premium springs with 25,000+ cycle ratings cost more initially but are a smarter long-term investment. especially if you plan to stay in your home.
One piece of advice you'll hear consistently from technicians: if one spring breaks, replace both. Both springs were installed at the same time and have gone through the same number of cycles. If one has snapped, the other is usually only a few weeks behind it. Replacing both in one visit saves you a second service call fee.
This is not a repair to tackle on your own, and that's not just a liability disclaimer. Garage door springs are under enormous tension. enough to cause serious injury or worse if mishandled. Professional technicians use calibrated winding bars, safety cables, and know exactly how much tension to apply for your specific door's weight and size.
The small amount you'd save by buying springs online and attempting the install yourself isn't worth the risk. The cost of a professional repair is also far less than the cost of an emergency room visit or a damaged door from an improperly wound spring.
When you're ready to get this handled, reach out to our team and we'll walk you through exactly what's needed for your specific door.
A good technician won't just swap the broken spring and leave. Here's what a proper service visit looks like:
1. Inspection of cables, drums, and rollers. a broken spring often puts extra stress on connected hardware 2. Secure the door safely before releasing any tension 3. Remove and replace springs with the correct size and tension rating for your door's weight 4. Balance test. the door should stay level and in place when lifted to mid-height 5. Opener reconnect and test. confirm the motor isn't straining under the new setup
A complete replacement typically takes 45,90 minutes. If a technician quotes you 15 minutes, ask questions.
Q: Can I still use my garage door if a spring is broken? A: No. and you really shouldn't try. Running the opener against a broken spring can burn out the motor and potentially cause the door to come down suddenly. If you suspect a break, unplug the opener and call a professional. If your car is trapped inside, a technician can manually release the door safely.
Q: How do I know if I have torsion or extension springs? A: Look above the door when it's closed. If you see a spring coiled around a horizontal metal rod above the opening, that's a torsion spring. If you see springs running along the horizontal tracks on either side of the door, those are extension springs. Most homes built in Lakewood after the 1980s use torsion spring systems.
Q: Does homeowner's insurance cover spring replacement? A: In most cases, no. Spring wear and failure is considered normal mechanical wear rather than a covered peril. Some home warranty plans may cover it. check your policy details. For regular upkeep that extends spring life, check out our guide to smart garage door technology to learn how modern systems can alert you to early warning signs.