Garage Door Spring Repair in Mankato, MN Heard a loud bang? Door won’t open?

Broken spring right now? Do this first

1. Stop using the opener. Without a working spring, the opener tries to lift the whole door by itself and can strip its gear.
2. Don’t lift the door by hand. A double door can weigh 200 pounds or more once the spring isn’t helping.
3. Keep people and pets clear. A door with a broken spring can drop if it’s partly open.
4. Never touch the spring or its winding cone. Torsion springs hold enough force to break bones. This is the one garage door job that should always go to a pro.
5. Call and say “broken spring”. Tell us whether the car is inside and whether your door is single or double.

Signs your garage door spring is broken

Why garage door springs break in Mankato

They wear out. A standard torsion spring is rated for about 10,000 cycles. One cycle is one open and one close. At four cycles a day, that’s roughly seven years. If your door came with the house and you’ve never replaced the springs, they are on borrowed time.

Cold makes it worse. Steel gets more brittle in deep cold, and grease thickens so the spring works harder. In January 2025, Mankato dropped to 19 below zero and stayed below zero for 96 straight hours (KEYC). Mornings like that are when worn springs most often snap, usually on the first run of the day.

Rust and no maintenance. Moisture from melting snow and road salt dragged in on cars leads to rust on the coils, which adds friction and weak spots. A light spray of garage door lubricant once or twice a year helps.

What garage door spring repair involves

1. Door secured. The tech clamps the door so it can’t move while the spring is unwound.
2. Old spring unwound and removed with proper winding bars, never screwdrivers.
3. New springs sized to your door. Springs are matched to the door’s weight, height and drum size. The wrong size makes the door hard to lift or fly up.
4. Cables and drums checked. Frayed cables are replaced now, because they often fail next.
5. Springs wound and door balanced. A balanced door stays put when lifted halfway by hand.
6. Tested and lubricated. A good tech checks the opener’s force and auto-reverse and lubes moving parts before leaving.

Torsion springs vs extension springs

Torsion springs sit on a bar above the door and twist to lift it. Most modern doors use them. They last longer, run smoother and are safer when they break.

Extension springs run along the side tracks and stretch. They’re found on older and lighter doors, and they need safety cables through the middle so a broken spring can’t whip across the garage. Many homeowners switch to torsion springs when the old ones fail.

Should I replace one spring or both?

Both, on a two-spring door. The springs went in at the same time and have done the same number of cycles, so the second one usually breaks within months. Replacing both in one visit saves you a second trip fee and keeps the door balanced.