Garage door problems
Broken garage door spring — what to do
A broken garage door spring in the UK typically shows as a sudden loud bang, a door that feels far heavier to lift, or a door that hangs crooked. Springs counterbalance most of a door's weight and store enough energy to cause serious injury if released incorrectly. Replacement is always an engineer job, typically costing £150–£350 for the pair, inc. VAT.
This is the single most dangerous fault covered on this site. Read the safety section before doing anything else.
How UK garage door gear differs from US framing
Most competitor content describing "torsion" and "extension" springs is written for the US market and doesn't map cleanly onto UK up-and-over doors. In the UK, an up-and-over is first identified by whether it has canopy gear (springs mounted across the top of the frame, doors up to roughly 2438mm wide, poorly suited to automation) or retractable gear (springs running the full depth of both side tracks, handles openings up to around 5m, and is mandatory on double doors). UK sectional doors use horizontal torsion springs mounted on a shaft directly above the opening, similar in principle to US torsion springs but sized and fitted differently.
Recognising a break
- A loud bang, often mistaken for a car backfiring or a door slam, is frequently the moment a spring lets go.
- The door becomes noticeably heavier — on a sectional door this can be dramatic, since the springs typically carry most of the door's weight.
- The door hangs unevenly or drops on one side, most noticeable with retractable gear where each side has an independent spring.
- The operator strains, clicks, or trips its thermal cut-out repeatedly when trying to lift the door.
Why this is never a DIY job
A garage door spring is wound under significant tension to do its job. Releasing or re-tensioning one without the correct winding bars, clamps and technique is a well-documented cause of serious hand, arm and facial injuries in the door trade. There is no safe home-workaround — the honest advice is to stop using the door and book an engineer.
| Job | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Spring replacement (pair) | £150–£350 |
| Call-out fee | £40–£80 |
| Emergency / out-of-hours surcharge | £50–£150 |
Prices include VAT. Single-spring replacement on retractable gear may be quoted lower than a full pair; most engineers recommend replacing both together since the surviving spring is the same age and close to failure.
Step by step
1.Stop using the door immediately
Do not operate the door by hand or via the operator once you suspect a broken spring. Continued use risks the door dropping suddenly or the operator being damaged trying to lift an unbalanced load.Safety: A broken spring means the door’s counterbalance has failed. The remaining stored energy in a partially-wound or paired spring is still dangerous — do not touch, wind, or attempt to remove it yourself.
2.Secure the garage
If the door is stuck open, treat it as a temporary security gap and consider a physical barrier until it is repaired, particularly overnight.3.Book an engineer
Describe the door type (up-and-over canopy, up-and-over retractable, or sectional) and roughly how old it is — this lets the engineer bring the correct spring on the first visit.
Questions people ask
- Can I drive my car out if my garage door spring has broken?
- Only if the door is already open and you can leave it safely secured — do not attempt to lift or lower a door with a broken spring to get the car out, as the sudden weight change is a genuine injury risk. Wait for the engineer.
- How long do garage door springs usually last?
- Springs are rated by cycle count rather than years, and usage varies enormously between households, so there is no single fixed UK lifespan — but replacing both springs together when one fails is standard trade practice, since the second is typically the same age.
- Is a broken spring covered by a garage door warranty?
- This depends entirely on your installer’s specific warranty terms — springs are a wearing part on many warranties rather than a manufacturing defect, so check your paperwork or ask the installer directly rather than assuming either way.
- What does it cost to replace a garage door spring in the UK?
- A pair of springs typically costs £150–£350 inc. VAT and fitting, plus a call-out fee of £40–£80. Out-of-hours emergency call-outs add roughly £50–£150 on top.
UK standards and regulations referenced
- PUWER 1998
- BS EN 13241
Related
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