If your garage door has suddenly become incredibly heavy, won't open at all, or you heard a loud bang from the garage — there's a good chance you've got a broken spring. It's one of the most common garage door faults we see, and also one of the most important to get right.
This guide explains how to tell if it's the spring, why you shouldn't try to fix it yourself, and how our repair process works.
What Does a Garage Door Spring Actually Do?
Garage door springs do the heavy lifting — literally. A standard garage door can weigh anywhere from 40kg to over 100kg depending on the material and size. The springs counterbalance that weight, which is what makes the door feel light when you lift it manually or lets the motor open it without straining.
Without a working spring, the motor (or you) is carrying the full weight of the door. That's why a broken spring often causes the motor to stop responding, or makes the door feel like it's made of lead.
Signs Your Garage Door Spring Has Broken
1. A loud bang from the garage This is the most dramatic one. A spring snapping under tension sounds like a gunshot — loud enough to be heard from inside the house. If you heard this and your door stopped working shortly after, the spring has almost certainly gone.
2. The door won't open, or opens a few inches and stops The motor may still run, but without spring tension it can't lift the door. Many motors have a built-in overload protection that cuts out when it detects too much resistance — this is actually protecting you from a burnt-out motor.
3. The door is extremely heavy to lift manually If you disengage the motor and try to lift the door by hand, it should feel manageable. If it feels like you're trying to lift a car — the spring isn't doing its job.
4. The door looks uneven or one side droops Some garage doors (particularly sectional doors) have two springs, one on each side. If only one breaks, the door can hang at an angle or bind in the tracks when opening.
5. You can see a gap in the spring If you look at the spring above the door or along the side of the tracks, a broken spring will often have a visible gap or separation in the coils. If you can see this — don't try to operate the door.
6. The cables are loose or hanging When a spring breaks, the cables that run alongside the door often go slack. You might see them hanging loose inside the garage.
Why You Shouldn't Attempt to Repair It Yourself
We'll be direct about this: garage door spring repair is genuinely dangerous and not a job for DIY.
Springs are under extreme tension — even when the door is closed. A torsion spring (the type that sits horizontally above the door) stores an enormous amount of energy. If one releases suddenly or incorrectly during a repair attempt, it can cause serious injury. This isn't cautious language to cover liability — it's the reason professional engineers use specialist winding bars and follow specific procedures.
Beyond the safety risk, getting spring tension wrong means:
- The door won't balance properly and will wear out the motor prematurely
- The door could slam shut unexpectedly
- You could void any existing warranty on the door or motor
It's also worth knowing that most hardware stores don't stock the right spring for your door — spring sizing is specific to the door's weight and height, and fitting the wrong one creates the same problems as fitting it incorrectly.
What Type of Spring Do You Have?
There are two main types used on UK garage doors:
Torsion springs sit horizontally above the door opening, mounted on a steel shaft. They're common on sectional (panel) doors and heavier up-and-over doors. When they break, the coil separates and the door typically stops dead.
Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks on either side of the door. They're more common on lighter up-and-over doors. These stretch and contract as the door moves — when they snap, you'll often see them hanging loose alongside the track.
Both types require professional replacement. The repair process is different for each, which is one reason getting the right engineer matters.
How Much Does a Broken Garage Door Spring Repair Cost?
This is the question everyone asks, and we're going to be straight with you: we don't publish prices online, and there's a good reason for that.
Spring repair cost depends on a number of factors — the type of spring, the size and weight of your door, how accessible everything is, and whether the failed spring has caused any secondary damage (to cables, drums, or the bottom bracket, for example). Giving you a number without seeing any of that would either be misleadingly low or unnecessarily high.
What we do instead is come out, assess the door properly, and give you a clear quote before any work starts. No obligation, no pressure — if the price doesn't work for you, you're not committed to anything.
Our Repair Process
1. We come to you We aim to get to you as quickly as possible — in many cases the same day.
2. We assess the door on site We look at the spring, the cables, the tracks, and the motor to make sure we understand the full picture. Sometimes a snapped spring has caused a cable to come off the drum or bent a bracket — we'll spot that and tell you upfront rather than fix one thing and leave another problem behind.
3. We give you a quote — no pressure Once we know what's needed, we'll tell you exactly what it'll cost. There's no obligation to proceed, and we won't try to upsell you on work your door doesn't need.
4. If you're happy, we get started straight away We carry the most common springs, cables, and hardware on the van. In most cases we can complete the repair in the same visit — so you're not left with a broken door waiting days for parts to arrive.
Can I Still Use the Door While I Wait?
Short answer: no. If you suspect the spring has broken, don't try to operate the door — manually or with the motor. Running the motor without spring tension puts strain on the drive mechanism and can burn out the motor, turning a spring repair into a motor replacement too.
If the door is stuck open, that's a security issue and you should treat it as urgent.
If the door is stuck closed, your car might be inside — call us and we'll prioritise getting to you.
Book a Visit — We're Usually Available the Same Day
A broken spring won't fix itself, and the longer a door is left out of balance, the more likely it is to cause further damage.
Book a visit → — we'll confirm a time, come out and assess, and give you a straight quote with no obligation.
Or call us: 0330 229 6097
We carry parts. We give honest quotes. We get it done.
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