Quick answer: When garage door springs break in winter, it is usually because they were already near the end of their working life. Every trip up and down wears the steel, rust from our damp air thins the wire, and a cold, stiff morning adds the last bit of strain. If you hear a loud bang or see a gap in the coil, stop using the door and call us.
Key takeaways
- A loud bang, a gap in the coil, or a door that suddenly feels heavy or hangs crooked means stop using the door and call.
- Do not lift the door or run the opener. If the door is up, do not pull the emergency release.
- DASMA recommends replacing both springs together, even if only one broke.
- In Portland and Vancouver, months of wet weather do more harm to springs than deep cold.
Why do garage door springs break in winter?
Winter is usually the last straw, not the whole story. A spring that seemed fine all summer and lets go on a frosty morning has been wearing out for a long time. Three things add up:
- Wear from use. Your springs carry most of the door’s weight. Every time the door opens and closes, the steel twists or stretches, then relaxes. After years of trips, the metal tires and finally breaks.
- Rust. Damp air settles on the coils all winter. DASMA’s technical data sheet on spring cycle life puts it plainly: “Rust reduces the effective area of spring wire, which in turn reduces its overall strength.” A rusty spring is a thinner, weaker spring.
- Extra strain on cold mornings. Anything that makes the door harder to move adds load to tired springs: ice along the bottom seal, a wood door that has taken on moisture, or dry hinges and rollers. If your door sticks to the driveway on icy mornings, see our guide to a garage door frozen to the ground.
How do I know if my garage door spring is broken?
You will often hear it before you see it. A torsion spring, mounted on a bar above the door, breaks with a loud bang that can sound like a gunshot. Extension springs, which run along the upper side tracks, may snap or hang loose. You can spot every sign below without touching anything.
| What you see or hear | What it usually means | What to do right now |
|---|---|---|
| A loud bang from the garage | A torsion spring has snapped | Stop using the door and call |
| A gap in the coil above the door | The spring has broken in two | Keep everyone clear and call |
| Door feels very heavy, or the opener strains and stops | The springs are no longer carrying the weight | Do not lift it by hand or run the opener |
| Door rises crooked or one side hangs low | A spring or cable on one side has failed | Stop the door where it is and call |
| Frayed, loose or slack cable | Cable wear or lost spring tension | Stop using the door and call |
| Rust on the coils, door still works normally | The wire is losing strength | Book an inspection soon |
Only the last row lets you keep using the door. Everything above it means stop and call.
Is it safe to open the door with a broken spring?
No. Springs balance the door’s weight, which is why a heavy door feels light in your hand. When one breaks, that balance is gone. The door can drop fast or come down crooked, and the spring system can still hold stored energy. Here is the safe response:
- Stop using the door. Do not press the wall button or the remote again.
- Keep people and pets away from the door and out from under it.
- If the door is up, leave it up. Do not pull the red emergency release cord. With the springs gone, nothing may hold the door once the opener lets go.
- If the door is down, leave it down. Do not try to lift it, and never put your fingers between the door sections.
- Call Larry Myers Garage Doors and tell our office what you saw or heard.
DASMA, the door manufacturers’ trade group, notes that the dangers of torsion springs are well known to door makers and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and it points homeowners to a trained door systems technician. That is why you will not find repair steps here.
How long do garage door springs last?
There is no single number, because springs wear out by use, not by the calendar. They are rated in cycles, and one cycle is the door going up and back down. A family that uses the garage as its front door uses up cycles far faster than one that opens it once a day.
DASMA’s data sheet lists what shortens spring life: rust, rough handling, springs installed incorrectly or sized for the wrong door weight, and exposure to the elements. It also warns that “spring cycle life may not necessarily coincide with door cycle life.” Your springs can wear out well before your door does. A few habits help them last:
- Lubricate as your manual directs. Use a garage-door-rated lubricant on the hinges and rollers, never on the tracks. If your manual lists the springs, a light spray on the coils from the floor, with the door closed and nothing touched, is enough. DASMA recommends regular lubrication to get the most cycles from a spring.
- Run the monthly balance test. Only do this when the door is working normally. With the door closed, pull the release, lift the door halfway and let go. It should stay put. If it drifts up or slides down, call us. Afterward, reconnect the opener as your manual describes. Our balance and reversal test guide has the details.
- Book a yearly look. DASMA recommends an annual visit from a trained technician.
Should both springs be replaced at once?
If your door has two springs and one breaks, yes. DASMA’s garage door safety tips call springs “arguably the most important and most dangerous part of your door” and advise replacing both together, even if only one has broken.
The two springs went in on the same day and have made every trip together in the same damp air. When one gives out, the other is often not far behind. Pairing a new spring with a tired one can also leave the door out of balance.
Our technicians match the new pair to the weight of your door and check the cables, rollers and hinges, since those parts all work together.
Damp cold, not deep cold: what Portland and Vancouver winters do to springs
Our winters are mild. NOAA normals put the average December and January low at about 36 degrees at Portland International Airport and 34 to 35 degrees at Vancouver’s Pearson airport.
What we have plenty of is wet. PDX averages about 19 days with measurable rain in December, and NWS Portland says nearly 90 percent of the year’s rain falls between mid-October and mid-May. Add about 32 mornings a year at or below freezing, and the springs in an unheated garage sit in cold, damp air all season. That is where rust gets its start.
Real cold snaps do happen. In January 2024, PDX stayed at or below freezing for about five days, then freezing rain left three-quarters of an inch of ice in Camas. A door iced to its bottom seal is the kind of extra load that can finish off a worn spring.
Some older homes on both sides of the river still have extension springs along the side tracks. Without touching them, look for a safety cable running through each spring. DASMA says extension springs need one, so tell us if yours are missing it. Anywhere in Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington or Clark County, reach us at 503-852-9238 in Portland or 360-777-6854 in Vancouver.
When to call a professional
Call as soon as you notice any stop-and-call sign from the table: a bang, a gap in the coil, a door that is suddenly heavy or crooked, or a frayed or slack cable. Do not wait to see whether the second spring holds.
Our garage door spring repair service covers homes and businesses. We are licensed, bonded and insured, same-day service is available, and there is no extra charge on Saturdays. If we find worn cables, rollers or hinges, our garage door repair team can take care of those too.
Rust on the coils with the door still working normally is not a crisis, but it is worth dealing with before the rainy season settles in. If you are thinking about new springs, request a free estimate.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my garage door spring break out of nowhere?
It only seems sudden. A spring loses a little strength with every trip up and down, and rust can thin the wire in ways you cannot see from the floor. The break is simply the last cycle that spring had left, which is why a door can work fine at night and refuse to open the next cold morning.
What temperature is cold enough to affect a garage door spring?
There is no single temperature where springs start snapping. In Portland and Vancouver, lows of 20 degrees or colder happen about once a year at PDX, so wear and rust do more damage than cold itself. A cold morning mostly exposes a spring that was already near the end of its working life.
Can I use the opener if one spring is broken?
No. Your opener counts on the springs to carry the weight of the door. Without them, running the opener can strain it, pull the door crooked or let the door come down hard. Leave the door where it is, keep people and pets clear, and call us.
Is a broken garage door spring an emergency?
It is urgent, because the door should not be used until the spring is replaced. If the door is stuck closed with your car inside, or stuck open for the night, call right away. Same-day service is available, with no extra charge on Saturdays. Until then, keep everyone clear and leave the release cord alone if the door is up.
Heard a bang from the garage?
Larry Myers Garage Doors has treated Portland and Vancouver customers like neighbors since 1973: transparent, affordable pricing, same-day service available, no extra charge on Saturdays, work backed by our warranty, and estimates that are always free.
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