Symptom check
Something in the garage went bang, and the door is dead weight
A loud bang from the garage, followed by a door the opener cannot lift, usually means a torsion spring broke. Leave the door as it sits and book a spring replacement rather than testing it.
Updated
Leave the door exactly where it stopped
Do not run the opener or pull the red release cord, above all if the door is partway or fully open. With a spring broken, only the opener or whatever the door rests on is holding it, and freeing it can bring it down hard. Keep people and pets clear, then photograph the spring shaft from the floor and text it.
What usually causes it, in order
A spring snapping is the usual source of the noise, though a cable letting go or a door jumping its track can sound much the same.
- Most common
A torsion spring that broke under tension
What you notice: On the shaft over the door, one spring now shows two coils with a few inches of daylight between them, and the opener can no longer lift the door.
The repair: Measure the broken coil and wind on a matching new spring, plus the second one if the shaft has two, set to the door's weight. Garage Door Spring Replacement, from $245
- Common
An extension spring that let go beside the track
What you notice: On a door with springs stretched along the side tracks, one hangs limp or in two pieces, held back by the safety cable through it.
The repair: Fit fresh extension springs, each with its own safety cable, or retire them for a torsion spring on a shaft. Garage Door Spring Replacement, from $245
- Common
A lift cable that snapped or jumped its drum
What you notice: Both springs are in one piece, but a cable dangles beside the door, or one bottom corner has dropped below the other.
The repair: Hang new lift cables sized to the door, rewrap both drums and level it. Garage Door Cable Replacement, from $185
- Less common
A door that dropped out of its track
What you notice: A roller has jumped the track and the door hangs twisted, with a crease starting at one of the hinges.
The repair: Support the door, guide the rollers back, set the track plumb and replace any bent hardware. Off-Track Garage Door Repair, from $175
Safe checks before you call
Everything here is done by looking from the floor, with the door left exactly as it is.
- Stand to one side of the door and check the spring shaft overhead for a coil split in two.
- On a door with side springs, look along each horizontal track for a spring hanging slack on its safety cable.
- Check both bottom corners for a lift cable lying loose, and both drums for a cable that came unwound.
- Notice whether the door hangs level or dips on one side.
- If the door is closed, pull the opener's plug so no one hits a remote from the car out of habit.
- Take two photos, one of the spring shaft and one of the whole door, to send with your message.
What actually went bang
The bang was stored energy letting go: a torsion spring is wound tight around its shaft to carry the door, and when the steel cracks, the two halves unwind in a fraction of a second.
The snap is loud enough to sound like a car hitting the house, and it often happens with the door closed and nobody near it. A torsion spring is wound tightest when the door is down, so a crack that has been growing for months tends to finish while the door sits still overnight.
Was anything else damaged when the spring broke?
Sometimes, and the cables are the part to watch, because a sudden loss of tension can let a cable go slack and slip off its drum.
From the floor, check each cable drum for a wrap that has loosened or crossed over itself, and the bottom corners for a loose cable. If the opener ran afterward, check the top section by the opener arm for a bend. Every spring visit includes a look at the cables, drums, center bearing and bottom brackets, and anything worn is priced first.
Why garage door springs break
Springs break from fatigue: each open and close flexes the steel, and the usual residential spring is built for something like 10,000 cycles.
At four round trips a day a door uses about 1,460 cycles a year, which puts a standard spring near its rating in roughly seven years; at two round trips a day it lasts about twice as long. Rust shortens the count. Rain or snow falls on close to half the days of the year at Pearson Field, and a spring in a damp, unheated garage pits and cracks sooner.
What to tell us when you book the spring repair
A few details in your first text let us bring the right spring and plan the visit around your door.
- A photo of the spring shaft that shows the break and both ends of the spring.
- The width and height of the door, and whether it is plain steel, insulated steel or wood.
- One spring or two on the shaft, or springs running along the side tracks instead.
- Whether the door is closed, open or stuck partway, and whether a car is stuck inside.
- The opener brand, if the label on the ceiling unit is easy to read.
Loud bang from the door: questions and answers
What broke if my garage door made a loud bang and will not open now?
Almost always a torsion spring. Look at the shaft above the door: a broken spring shows a clean gap in its coils, often a few inches wide. On an older door with springs beside the tracks, one may hang loose on its safety cable. Either way, the door has lost its counterbalance and needs new springs before it is used.
Can I keep using my garage door after the loud bang of a broken spring?
No, not until the spring is replaced. The opener was never meant to lift the whole door on its own, and running it strains the gear and can bend the top section. A hand lift is worse, because the door can drop without warning. Leave it closed, unplug the opener and book the repair.
Does a loud bang from a garage door spring mean the cables are damaged too?
Not usually, but check from the floor. A spring that breaks can let a cable slacken and slip off its drum, especially if the opener tried to run afterward. A cable lying loose or wrapped unevenly on a drum means the visit covers cables as well, and the cables are inspected on every spring repair regardless.
Why did my garage door spring break with a bang when nobody was using the door?
A torsion spring holds the most tension with the door closed, so a fatigue crack often lets go while the door sits still. The steel has a rated life in cycles, not years, and rust in a damp garage uses it up faster. A break on a quiet morning is the normal end for a spring that has run its course.
What should I tell you when I book a repair after hearing a loud bang?
Send a photo of the spring shaft, the door's size, and whether it is open, closed or stuck partway. Mention one spring or two, and whether a car is trapped inside. With that, the right spring sizes come on the first visit, along with a matched pair if your door uses two.
Should both springs be replaced after one broke with a loud bang?
Usually yes, on a door that has two. Both springs were installed together and have run the same number of cycles, so the one that survived the bang is close behind. Replacing the pair together also keeps the lift even on both drums, which protects the cables and keeps the door level.
Where to go next
Nearby service areas
This call comes in from Carter Park, Evergreen Highlands and Father Blanchet Park, Hearthwood and Airport Green and the rest of our Washington service area.
Want a price before anyone drives over?
Call and describe what the door is doing, or text a photo of the door and the spring above it. You hear the likely repair and where its price starts, then decide.