Broken Garage Door Spring — Causes & Repair
Royal Garage Doors is rated 5.0 from 500+ reviews, with 15 years in business and technicians averaging 12 years of hands-on experience installing and repairing doors across Toronto and the wider GTA.
What is broken garage door spring?
Broken garage door spring failures show up as a loud bang, a door that won’t open, and a visible 1–2 inch gap in the torsion coil above the door. Never lift or operate the door — the spring carries its full 60–200 lb weight. Royal Garage Doors replaces them for $280–$460 + tax.
How do I know the spring is broken and not the opener?
Pull the red release cord and try to lift the door by hand. If it feels extremely heavy or won’t stay up, the spring has failed. If it lifts easily
- Rating
- 5.0★ from 500+ verified Google reviews
- Experience
- 15 years in business across the GTA
- Warranty
- Workmanship guarantee; 5 years on hardware, 90 days follow-up
- Author
- Nick Thompson, Founder & Lead Technician
Signs of a broken garage door spring
- A loud bang from the garage (it sounds like a firecracker).
- The door won’t open, or the opener strains and reverses.
- A visible 1–2 inch gap in the torsion spring above the door.
- The door feels like dead weight when lifted by hand.
- The door opens crooked, jerky, or slams shut.
Why garage door springs break
- Cycle wear: every open/close is one cycle; standard springs are rated ~10,000 cycles.
- Cold weather: brittle steel snaps on hard GTA freezes.
- Rust: moisture corrodes the coil and weakens it; lubrication slows this.
- Wrong-sized spring: a previous mismatched spring wears out fast.
- Lack of maintenance: dry, unbalanced doors stress the springs.
Why you should never lift a door with a broken spring
The spring counterbalances the entire weight of the door — typically 60–200 lbs. With it broken, that weight is unsupported: the door can crash down on hands, vehicles or pets, and forcing it bends tracks and snaps cables. Disconnect the opener (red cord, door down) and wait for a technician.
How the repair works
A technician measures the wire size, length and inside diameter to match the correct spring, removes the broken spring safely, installs and winds the new one(s) to the right tension, then balances and safety-tests the door. On two-spring doors we replace both so they wear evenly. See the full process in how to fix a garage door spring.
Royal Garage Doors recommendation
Spring replacement is a same-day job and the one repair you should never DIY. Check spring repair costs, or book spring repair in Toronto or emergency service if your car is trapped.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know the spring is broken and not the opener?
Pull the red release cord and try to lift the door by hand. If it feels extremely heavy or won’t stay up, the spring has failed. If it lifts easily but the motor won’t move it, the issue is the opener.
Why did my spring break in winter?
Cold makes steel more brittle, so springs that are near the end of their cycle life often snap on the first hard freeze. It’s the single most common time for spring failures in the GTA.
Can I still use the door with one broken spring?
No. Even on a two-spring door, one broken spring leaves the door badly unbalanced and overworks the opener. Stop using it until both are replaced.
How long do new springs last?
A standard spring is rated ~10,000 cycles (about 7–10 years of typical use). High-cycle springs (20,000–30,000) roughly double that and are worth it for busy households.
How much does it cost to fix?
$280 + tax for a single torsion spring and $320–$460 for a double set, including parts, labour and a balance check. The service call is free with the repair.
Sources & standards: Garage door safety follows the UL 325 standard for automatic operators, and our technicians are certified by the International Door Association (IDEA). Pricing reflects current Royal Garage Doors rates for the GTA.
The bottom line: done right, the result is a garage door that opens quietly, balances correctly and is safe to use every day — backed by Royal's 1-year labour warranty so the outcome lasts.
