2026-03-31 7 min read
If you've ever heard a loud bang from your garage. like a gunshot going off. and suddenly found your door frozen in place, you've likely experienced a broken garage door spring. It's one of the most common calls we get here in Salem, and it almost always happens at the worst possible time: early in the morning before work, or late at night when you're trying to get the car in.
Salem's climate is a big part of why springs wear out the way they do here. The Willamette Valley brings wet, overcast winters with frequent rain from October through April, followed by warm, dry summers. That constant cycle of moisture and temperature swings. going from damp 35°F mornings in December to 90°F afternoons in July. puts real stress on metal components. Springs contract in the cold and expand in the heat, and over years of cycling, that fatigue adds up fast.
Before you can understand what failed, it helps to know what you're dealing with. There are two main types of garage door springs:
Torsion springs are mounted horizontally above the door opening and work by coiling and uncoiling as the door moves. They're the more common type in newer Salem homes and handle heavier doors well. Extension springs run along the sides of the door on the upper horizontal tracks, stretching and contracting to help lift the door. You'll find these more often in older homes. and Salem has a lot of those. Much of the city's housing stock was built between the 1970s and early 1990s, and plenty of those garage setups still have the original extension spring systems.
If your home is in an established neighborhood like West Salem or the South Commercial corridor, there's a decent chance you're working with an older spring system that's never been replaced.
Springs don't always break dramatically. Sometimes they give you warning signs first. Watch for:
- The door feels unusually heavy when you try to lift it manually, The door opens unevenly or one side rises faster than the other, You notice a visible gap in the coil of a torsion spring, The door reverses before fully opening or won't stay up, You hear creaking or grinding during operation
If you're already noticing some of these issues alongside other trouble spots, our 7 warning signs your garage door needs repair post covers the full picture of what to look for before a small problem becomes an expensive one.
Most standard springs are rated for about 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 life. Higher-cycle springs rated at 25,000,50,000 cycles are available and worth considering if you use your garage as your primary entry point, which most Salem homeowners do.
The bottom line: if your home is over 10 years old and you've never had the springs serviced or replaced, they're likely living on borrowed time.
In the Salem area, you can generally expect to pay between $178 and $414 per spring for professional replacement, including parts and labor. The variation comes down to the type of spring (torsion springs typically cost more than extension springs), the quality and cycle rating of the replacement spring, and the complexity of the job.
We always recommend replacing both springs at the same time. even if only one has broken. If one has worn out, the other is usually close behind. Paying for two replacements in one visit is almost always cheaper than two separate service calls.
This is worth saying plainly: do not attempt to replace garage door springs yourself. Springs are under enormous tension, and a spring that snaps loose during removal can cause serious injury or property damage. This is one of those jobs that genuinely requires professional tools and training. The repair itself usually takes under an hour when done by an experienced tech. it's simply not worth the risk of doing it yourself to save a few dollars.
If you're unsure what kind of springs you have or whether they're the source of your trouble, you can always check our complete garage door maintenance checklist for guidance on what a basic inspection should cover.
If you have an older home with extension springs and you're already paying for a replacement, it may be worth asking about converting to a torsion spring system. Torsion springs generally last longer, are more balanced, and are considered safer since they stay on the shaft even when broken. Your technician can tell you whether your door and header clearance make a conversion feasible.
For newer homes. especially the Craftsman and contemporary-style builds going up in areas like Pringle Creek and South Gateway. torsion springs are already the standard, and a straightforward like-for-like replacement is usually all that's needed.
When you're ready to get it sorted, reach out to our team and we'll get a tech out to take a look. Spring replacement is one of the faster fixes in the garage door world. most jobs are done the same day.
The most obvious sign is a door that won't open at all or only opens a few inches before stopping. You may also hear a loud bang when it snaps. Look above your door for a visible gap in the torsion spring coil, or check the extension springs on the sides for any that appear slack or misaligned.
Technically the opener motor can still run, but operating a door with a broken spring puts major strain on the opener and can damage it. It also creates a safety hazard. We recommend not using the door until the spring is replaced.
For most residential doors in Salem, a professional spring replacement takes 45 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the spring type and whether any other components need adjustment. Same-day service is usually available.