Garage door spring repair · Roanoke, VA
Garage door spring repair, done the same day.
A broken spring is the most common garage door failure there is, and the one that strands the most cars. The common sizes ride on our truck, so most spring calls in the Roanoke Valley are fixed the day they happen. Call the owner directly, get a real ETA and a price before we start.
Before you touch anything
If the spring just broke, here is what to do while you wait.
A garage door spring is what carries the door's weight. Once it lets go, the door is a couple hundred pounds with nothing holding it but the opener and the cables. Everything below assumes the door is sitting still.
Safe to check yourself
- Unplug the opener at the ceiling outlet so nobody in the house hits the button out of habit.
- Leave the door where it is. If it is closed, that is the safest place for it.
- Look up at the shaft above the door. A visible gap of an inch or two in the coil confirms a broken torsion spring.
- Check whether either lift cable is hanging loose or off its drum. Look, do not touch.
- Snap a photo of the spring and one of the whole door. It helps us bring the right parts.
Leave these alone
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Lifting the door by hand to get the car out
Without a spring the door weighs what it weighs. Two adults can sometimes lift a single door, but it has to be held the whole time and it comes down hard if anyone lets go. If the car has to come out today, call us today instead.
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The spring, the winding cones, and the set screws
On a two-spring door the other spring is still fully wound. Loosening anything on that shaft without winding bars in place is how people end up in the ER.
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Running the opener "just once more"
The opener will try. It will strip its own gear, bend the top section, and can drag the door off its cables. A spring job then becomes a spring, opener, and panel job.
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The emergency release cord, if the door is open
On a door with no spring tension, pulling that red handle drops the door under its full weight. Only use it on a closed door.
Which spring do you have
Torsion or extension: it changes the repair.
Nearly every residential door in the Roanoke Valley uses one of two systems. You can tell which from the doorway without touching anything.
Torsion springs
One or two heavy coils on a steel shaft mounted horizontally above the door opening. This is what almost every door built or replaced in the last 25 years uses. Torsion springs lift the door by winding cables onto drums at each end of the shaft. When one breaks it goes with a loud bang and the door will barely move.
How you know: A shaft with coil springs running along the header above the door. If a spring is broken, you can see a clear gap in the coil.
Extension springs
Two long, thinner springs that stretch along the horizontal tracks on either side of the door and pull it up by leverage. Common on older doors and some single-car detached garages around Grandin, Wasena, and Old Southwest. When one breaks the door goes crooked and jams, and a spring without a safety cable through it can fly across the garage.
How you know: Springs mounted parallel to the ceiling tracks on each side, with pulleys and cables. A broken one hangs slack or lies on the floor.
A spring that is tired, not broken
Springs lose tension for months before they fail. The door starts feeling heavy, the opener slows down and strains near the floor, and the door will not stay put when you disconnect the opener and lift it halfway. This is the stage where a scheduled replacement beats an emergency call.
How you know: The door works but the opener labors, reverses for no reason, or the door creeps down on its own when left half open.
What the visit covers
Springs, and everything the spring takes with it.
Replacing the coil is the easy part. A proper spring job resets the whole lift system so the door is balanced and the opener isn't fighting it.
- Torsion springs, replaced as a pairSized to your door's weight and height, not the nearest size on the shelf. Both springs on a two-spring door, so it stays balanced.
- Extension springs with safety cablesReplaced in matched pairs, with a safety cable through each one so a future break stays contained.
- Lift cables and drums checkedThe cables run at the same tension the springs do and usually wear at the same rate. Frayed cables get replaced in the same visit rather than three months later.
- Center bearing and end bearingsWorn bearings squeal, wear the shaft, and shorten the life of a new spring. Cheap to do while the shaft is out of tension.
- Balance and opener resetThe door is balanced by hand with the opener disconnected, then the opener force and travel limits are reset so it isn't compensating for a problem that no longer exists.
- High-cycle upgrade if it makes senseFor busy households, heavy insulated doors, or anyone who never wants to do this again. We tell you honestly when it isn't worth it.
Why Ferguson's
Why call Ferguson's for a broken spring.
Springs on the truck, same-day service
The common torsion sizes for single and double doors ride with us. Most spring calls in Roanoke, Salem, Vinton, and Hollins are fixed the day you call.
You reach the owner
Tyler Ferguson answers the phone and does the work. No dispatcher deciding when a "technician" is free.
Price before we start
A firm quote for the spring job before a wrench comes out. If we find a frayed cable while we are up there, we tell you and price it, we do not just add it.
Class A licensed and insured
Virginia Class A contractor, BBB A+, insured for the work. Ask any company you call to say the same.
How it works
What happens on a spring call.
Describe the door on the phone
Single or double, roughly how old, torsion or extension, and whether the car is stuck. That tells us what to bring and lets us give you a close range before we roll.
Secure and measure
The door is clamped so it cannot move. We measure the existing spring, weigh the door if needed, and confirm the replacement is right for it, not just close.
Replace, re-cable, balance
New springs wound to spec, cables and bearings checked, then the door is balanced by hand until it stays put halfway on its own.
Reset the opener and test
Force, travel, and safety reverse are all reset to the newly balanced door. You watch it run before we leave.
What affects the cost
What moves the price on a spring job.
We don't publish a flat spring price because the right spring for a 16-foot insulated door and the right spring for an 8-foot single are different parts. What we can do is tell you what changes the number, so you can tell a fair quote from a padded one. Estimates are free.
Spring size and type
Springs are sized to the door's weight and height. Heavier, taller, and insulated doors take bigger springs. Torsion and extension systems price differently.
One spring or two
Most double doors and many singles run two torsion springs. Replacing both at once costs less than two visits and is the only way the door ends up balanced.
Cables, bearings, and drums
If the cables are frayed or the bearings are shot, doing them while the shaft is out of tension is far cheaper than a separate call for them later. We show you the part before we recommend it.
Standard or high-cycle
High-cycle springs cost more up front and last two to three times longer. Worth it on some doors, not on others. We say which.
When and where
Daytime calls in the Roanoke Valley are the cleanest. After-hours, weekend, and longer-distance calls carry a trip component, and we say so up front.
Roanoke Valley neighbors, in their own words.
What customers say
“My car was stuck in my garage and I had been bumming rides for the last couple of days. I called and spoke to Tyler. His customer service skills were top tier. He was at my home and had repaired my garage within 2 hours of me calling him. He had my garage fixed (replaced two coils) within 30 minutes of being there. Excellent work. Excellent customer service.”
“Very conscientious and gave me tips to keep the door running smoothly. Replaced the springs in about an hour. Very professional and courteous. Will definitely use again!”
“Very responsive to my request and was able to order and replace my springs quickly. Very pleased with the quality of work and professionalism. He's my go-to garage door guru!”
Spring questions we hear every week.
Have a question that isn't here? Call (540) 293-0197 and you'll get a straight answer.
How do I know the spring is what broke?
Can I still use the opener with a broken spring?
One spring broke. Do both need replacing?
How long does a spring replacement take?
What does garage door spring replacement cost?
Do you offer high-cycle springs?
Can I replace a garage door spring myself?
Other things we handle
Garage Door Repair
Cables, rollers, panels, tracks, and everything else that goes wrong with a residential door.
Emergency Service
Spring broke at 9pm with the car inside? After-hours calls go straight to the owner.
Maintenance & Tune-ups
The yearly visit that catches a tired spring before it strands you. Balance check, lubrication, cable inspection.
Garage door off track?
Often the second thing that happens after a spring or cable goes. What to check and what to leave alone.
Broken spring? Call now.
Describe the door and you'll get a real ETA and a close price range on the phone. Most Roanoke Valley spring calls are fixed the same day.