2026-04-07 7 min read
If you've ever walked into your garage on a Tuesday morning, pressed the button, and watched your door groan. or not move at all. there's a good chance your springs are to blame. It's one of the most common service calls we get here at Garage Door Frostproof, and it happens to good doors all the time.
Frostproof sits in the heart of Polk County, and while our winters are mild compared to most of the country, that doesn't mean your garage door hardware is off the hook. Every time a cold front pushes through Central Florida. dropping overnight lows into the 40s. metal contracts, lubrication can thicken, and any spring that was already near the end of its life tends to give out. Add in the punishing summer humidity around Lake Reedy and Lake Clinch, and you've got a climate that quietly wears on metal components year-round.
Your garage door isn't really lifted by the opener. the opener is just a motor that pushes and pulls. The torsion spring or extension springs do the actual heavy lifting by counterbalancing the door's weight. Without working springs, a standard two-car garage door becomes a 150,200+ lb slab that your opener motor simply can't handle safely.
There are two main types:
- Torsion springs sit horizontally above the door and twist to create lifting force. They're stronger, last longer (typically 10,000,20,000 cycles), and are the standard on most modern sectional doors. - Extension springs run along the sides of the door and stretch as it opens. They're common on older homes and lighter doors, cost less to replace, but wear out faster and can be more dangerous when they snap. especially without safety cables.
Many of the older ranch-style homes and mid-century block homes throughout Frostproof still have extension spring systems. If your home was built in the 1970s,1990s, it's worth knowing which type you have before a problem develops.
Springs rarely snap without warning. Here's what to watch for:
- The door feels unusually heavy when you try to lift it manually. A balanced door should stay in place when lifted halfway and released. - Loud bang from the garage. a snapping torsion spring sounds like a gunshot. If you hear it, stop using the door immediately. - Visible gap in the spring coil. a broken torsion spring will have a clear separation in the coil above the door. - Door opens crookedly or jerks. if only one spring in a two-spring system fails, the door may rise unevenly. - Opener strains or reverses. when springs fail, the opener overworks trying to compensate, which can damage the motor.
If you notice slower operation, new noises, or uneven travel. especially right after a cold front comes through. don't ignore it. Those are early warnings worth checking against the full list of warning signs before a small issue becomes an emergency.
For Florida homeowners, spring replacement typically runs $150 to $500 depending on the spring type, door size, and whether both springs need replacing. Torsion spring jobs generally run higher. often $250 to $450 per spring. because they require more precision and specialized tools. Extension springs are cheaper to replace, but the labor cost is similar since a technician still has to make a trip out.
One important note: if one spring breaks, replace both at the same time. Springs on the same door experience identical wear and tear. Replacing just one means the other is likely to fail within weeks or months, which costs you a second service call and more labor fees.
In smaller Polk County towns like Frostproof, labor rates tend to be more reasonable than what you'd pay in a larger metro. That's one advantage of working with a local company that knows the area.
This one isn't up for debate. Torsion springs are under hundreds of pounds of tension. A spring that slips during installation can cause serious injury or death. and that's not an exaggeration. Even experienced DIYers who've handled plenty of home repairs should leave this one to a licensed technician who has the proper winding bars, safety training, and knows exactly how to size and tension a spring for your specific door weight.
The money you'd save on labor isn't worth the risk. Reach out to schedule a spring inspection before you find yourself locked in the garage on a workday morning.
Most residential garage door springs are rated for 10,000 cycles. one cycle being one open and one close. If you use your garage door four times a day, that's roughly 7 years of use. Higher-cycle springs (25,000+ cycles) cost more upfront but can last 15,20 years and are well worth the investment on a primary entrance door.
In Frostproof, where many homeowners use their garage as the main entry point to their home, upgrading to high-cycle springs when replacing is a smart long-term move. Pair that with regular garage door maintenance. lubrication, balance tests, visual inspections. and you can significantly extend the life of every component in the system.
Technically yes, but you shouldn't. Without the spring's counterbalance, the door becomes dangerously heavy. Forcing the opener to lift it can burn out the motor. If you're stuck, call a technician rather than trying to force it open manually.
Look above the door when it's closed. If you see a horizontal metal bar with a coiled spring wrapped around it, that's a torsion spring. If you see springs running horizontally along the tracks on either side of the door, those are extension springs.
Yes. always replace both at the same time. Springs on the same door wear at the same rate, so if one breaks, the other is close behind. Replacing both during one service visit saves you a second trip charge and keeps your door balanced and safe.