West Vancouver Garage Door Spring Replacement

Most people hear it first. A spring snapping sounds like a loud bang from the garage. After that you may notice:

• a visible gap in the coil on the bar above the door
• a door that feels very heavy or won't lift at all
• one side rising before the other
• the opener straining and lifting the door only a few inches
• loose cables hanging beside the door

Once you see these, stop pressing the button. The opener can't carry the full weight, and running it can strip its gears. Don't try to lift a heavy custom door by hand either.

Many homes in the British Properties, Altamont and Caulfeild have oversized doors in solid wood, glass or both. They weigh far more than a stock steel door. A spring sized for an average door wears out quickly on them, or never balances the door properly.

We size the new springs to the door you actually have, wind them to the right tension and check that the door holds halfway when lifted by hand. On a two-spring door we replace both, since the second has done the same number of cycles and is usually near the end. Standard springs are typically rated for about 10,000 cycles. Higher-cycle springs cost more and last longer, which is worth it on a heavy door that gets daily use.

Two kinds of weather break springs here. Up the slopes, colder winters bring snow to the British Properties and Cypress Park. Cold makes worn steel brittle and stiffens the door, so springs near the end of their life tend to fail on a frosty morning.

Down by the shore, from Ambleside through Dundarave to Whytecliff, salt air rusts springs and cables all year. Rust adds friction between the coils and wears them faster than the cycle rating suggests. While we're there we check the cables, drums and bearings, since they rust too.