If your garage door is old, there’s a good chance that you’re still using extension springs. These springs are used as a counterbalance to make your garage door easier to open. Without them, you probably couldn’t lift the door on your own.

Extension springs are the oldest variety of springs available. They are brittle, can rust easily, and have short lifespans. Depending on your garage door, you may have one or two of them located above the door. If you notice your garage door is noisy or doesn’t open smoothly, this tends to be caused by your extension springs.

Choosing Between Extension or Torsion Springs

If you have a broken garage door spring, you’ll have two choices. You can either get a replacement extension spring or switch to a torsion spring.

We always recommend torsion for the following reasons:

• Extension springs can cause unnecessary wear and tear to your door due to the jerking type motion they have when operating.
• Torsion springs will last much longer. Some models can last 30 years!
• With torsion, your garage door will be much safer. Extension springs can snap and fly off if not secured problem. Torsion-style springs are not under heavy pressure, unlike their extension counterpart.

In general, there are very few reasons why you should continue using an extension spring. Unless your door style can’t accommodate torsion springs, you should always go with the better option. They do cost a little more upfront but you’ll save money in the long run as they won’t break down as fast.