“Installers or consumers should be aware that garage door springs, cables, brackets, and other hardware attached to the springs, are under very high tension and contain stored energy and, if handled properly, can cause serious injury. That is why only a qualified professional carefully following the manufacturers’ instructions should adjust them. Consumers should not attempt to repair or adjust the torsion springs, as in addition to possible harm, the warranty can be avoided.”

– Australian Garage Door Association

Injuries reported through shoddy repairs are numerous. They range from soft tissue damage to broken bones. The ADGA has ask ed everyone to re-assess their torsion equipment for both installing new garage door springs and also for garage door services where tension on the springs is required.

At Guardian Doors, all our technicians are fully qualified and experienced in the door industry. We always strive to provide the best garage door service to our Perth customers.

We all like to cut back on our spending wherever we can; this only makes  sense. Cutting back on your food spend, home energy use, clothing and entertainment, for example, can all be helpful ways to save your precious dollars. Putting yourself or your loved ones in danger, however, is not a recommendable way of saving money.

The false economy of DIY repairs

Cutting back on essential professional garage door servicing can be dangerous and cause serious injury if problems with your springs arise. According to the AGDA, common injuries through installation or servicing garage door springs can be caused by:

• The winding bar not properly engaged in controlling the required spring tension adjustment. It then disengages, resulting in uncontrolled action by the spring
• The winding bar can also throw a damaging force to the face or body of anyone near the counterbalance spring system and winding bar.
• Incorrect tools used, with equipment consequently flipping.
• Wrong SOP/installation instructions, particularly the sequence of loosening or tightening fixings, permitting axles or other parts of the door to release spring tension in an uncontrolled manner.

“Galvanised steel springs are wound with immense tension… Too much stress can cause them to snap suddenly, causing the door to fall to the ground.”

How am I putting myself in danger by replacing my springs myself?

Even people experienced with tools – or with mechanical backgrounds – are susceptible to a high risk of injury from replacing their garage door springs. The galvanised steel springs are wound with immense tension. And this tension is what’s holding the weight of your door. Applying too much stress can cause the garage door springs to snap suddenly, resulting in the following:

• garage door falling to the ground
• torsion pole coming loose
• cables jumping off
• end and centre bearing brackets coming away

Any of these issues occurring while closing your garage door could be severe. And, if you’re not using a correct torsion applicator, your hand can lose grip. This is the most common injury we hear of in the garage door service industry. The tool you’re using to apply the tension can spring back at you, unleashing a tremendous amount of pressure that has built up. This pressure can cause lacerations to the face (if close) and easily break a bone in your hand, if impacted.

You may have been lucky installing the garage door springs yourself. But have you adjusted your cables and checked for the correct tension?

If your garage door spring tension isn’t right, it’s only a matter of time before they snap.

You and your family use your garage door daily, but you may not notice how much it weighs. If your springs snap when you’re using the garage, the door panels can come down heavily on a car, beloved pet or family member.

Your garage door springs aren’t fussy – they’ll fail when anyone is around. And when they do, you have nothing but your cables holding your door’s weight.

Why choose Guardian Doors?

The Guardian Doors service and repair team have been hand-picked for their experience and industry expertise – and tick all the following boxes:

• • Minimum of 5 years’ experience, ranging up to 25-30 years’ experience
  • Up to date ‘Working With Children’ checks
  • Police checks/clearances
  • Clean full drivers licenses
  • Feedback obtained after each attendance made
  • Use a safe, secure works management application that operates in real-time with continual customer updates and follow-ups
  • Knowledge of a variety of garage doors brands and parts
  • Fully stocked vehicles equipped for almost any on-site repair

Using a professional garage door service company is the safest and most secure way of making sure you and your family looked after. But don’t just choose any company, look for the following:

• warranty information
• customer service details
• level of experience & expertise
• reviews
• aftercare packages

 AGDA recommends that any adjustments or repairs to the door, opener or fittings should only be carried out by a professional garage door technician.

Call Guardian Doors for a professional service: (08) 9408 1602