A broken garage door spring is one of the most common reasons a garage door suddenly refuses to open. Everything works fine one day, and the next you hear a loud bang from the garage. Then the opener hums, strains, or lifts the door a few inches before giving up. If that sounds familiar, you are in the right place.
Braxdyne Garage Door Repair handles garage door spring repair in Sacramento and across the surrounding region, seven days a week from 7am to 9pm. We replace torsion and extension springs on residential doors from all major brands, and we explain what failed and why before we touch anything.
Springs do the heavy lifting on your door, not the opener. They counterbalance the full weight of the door so the motor, or your arms, only need to guide it. When a spring fails, the door becomes dead weight. That is exactly why spring replacement is a job for a trained technician with the right tools, not a weekend project.
Every visit starts with a $0 service call and a free estimate. You see the price before any work begins, and every spring job includes our free 21-point safety check, a 90-day labor warranty and a 1-year parts warranty.
Braxdyne is not yet licensed by the CSLB (our license is in process), so we only take minor repairs under $1,000 total for parts and labor that need no permit, and we refer bigger jobs such as new doors to a licensed partner.
Signs you need garage door spring repair
- You heard a sudden loud bang, like a firecracker, from the garage.
- You can see a gap of a few inches in the torsion spring above the door.
- The door feels extremely heavy and will not stay up when lifted partway.
- The opener runs, but the door only rises a few inches or not at all.
- The door slams shut quickly instead of closing smoothly.
- The door looks crooked or jerks as it moves.
- An extension spring along the side track looks stretched, sagging or snapped.
- The springs are rusty, squeak constantly, or show visible gaps between coils.
What we do on a spring repair visit
- Listen and look. We ask what happened, then inspect the springs, cables, drums, bearings and opener to confirm the spring is the real problem.
- Measure correctly. We size the replacement springs to your specific door, based on its weight, height and hardware, rather than guessing.
- Give you a clear price. You get a written price before any work starts. No surprises at the end.
- Secure the door. We lock the door in place and release any remaining tension using professional winding bars and safe procedures.
- Replace the springs. We install new springs, check the cables and drums, and replace worn parts only if you approve.
- Balance and test. We set the tension so the door stays put halfway up, then run it through several full cycles with the opener.
- Run the 21-point safety check. We check rollers, hinges, tracks, sensors, auto-reverse and more, and tell you what we found.
Torsion vs extension springs
Most newer homes in the Sacramento area have torsion springs. These are mounted on a metal shaft right above the door opening. They twist to store energy and unwind to help lift the door. Torsion systems tend to run smoothly and give the door good balance.
Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks on each side of the door. They stretch when the door closes and contract when it opens. You will often find them on older homes and lighter doors. A properly installed extension spring system should include a safety cable running through each spring to contain it if it breaks.
Both types store a lot of energy, and both can cause serious injury if handled without the right training. During your visit we will tell you which system you have and whether it is set up correctly for your door.
Why springs break
Garage door springs are rated for a certain number of cycles. One cycle is one full open and one full close. Every time the door moves, the steel flexes a little, and eventually it fatigues and snaps. For many families, the garage is the main front door, so cycles add up faster than people expect.
Other common causes include:
- Rust and corrosion, which roughen the coils and add friction.
- Temperature swings, from hot valley summers to cold winter mornings, which stress the metal.
- Wrong spring size from a past repair, which overworks the spring and the opener.
- Lack of basic maintenance, such as never having the door balance checked.
Why we replace springs in pairs, and high-cycle options
If your door has two springs and only one broke, the other one has lived through the same number of cycles. It is usually close behind. Replacing both at once keeps the door balanced and saves you a second visit soon after. We always explain the choice and let you decide.
We can also offer high-cycle springs. These are built with heavier wire and are designed to last more cycles than standard springs. They are a smart choice if your household uses the garage door many times a day. We will walk you through the options and show you the price for each before you choose.
Safety first
Garage door springs hold enough tension to cause serious injury. We never publish do-it-yourself steps for springs, and we strongly recommend that homeowners leave this work to a trained technician. Until we arrive, here is what not to do:
- Do not try to unwind, adjust, loosen or remove a torsion spring or its winding cones.
- Do not loosen set screws, brackets or bolts near the springs or cable drums.
- Do not keep pressing the opener button. The motor can strip its gears trying to lift a door with a broken spring.
- Do not try to lift the door by hand if it feels very heavy. It can drop suddenly.
- Do not stand or walk under a door that is partly open and will not stay in place.
- Keep children and pets away from the door until it is repaired.
If your car is stuck inside, give us a call. We will help you figure out the safest next step.
Service area
We provide garage door spring repair across the Sacramento region, including Sacramento, Roseville, Elk Grove, Folsom, Citrus Heights, Rocklin, Davis and 60+ nearby cities. If you are not sure whether we cover your neighborhood, just call and ask.
FAQ
Can I still open my garage door with a broken spring?
We do not recommend it. Without the spring, the door is extremely heavy and can fall without warning. Using the opener can also damage the motor and gears. Leave the door closed if you can, and call us.
How do I know if I have torsion or extension springs?
Look above the door opening. If you see a spring wrapped around a metal bar, you have torsion springs. If the springs run along the tracks on each side of the ceiling, you have extension springs. Either way, look but do not touch.
Should I replace both springs if only one is broken?
In most cases, yes. The second spring has the same wear and usually fails soon after. Replacing both keeps the door balanced. We will explain the options and let you decide.
Do you offer any discounts on spring replacement?
Yes. Seniors 62+, veterans and military, and returning customers get 10% off labor. One discount applies per job.
What warranty comes with spring repair?
Every spring replacement includes a 90-day labor warranty and a 1-year parts warranty, along with a free 21-point safety check on the whole door.
Broken garage door spring? Call Braxdyne at (916) 848-5050 or text us a photo of your springs. We are open 7am to 9pm, 7 days a week, with a $0 service call and a price before any work begins.