Are Old Garage Door Springs Safe?
My home was built in the 1930s, and the one-piece garage door that I have is original to the house. It has a huge extension spring that is tied to the back wall of the garage. Are these springs safe? The short answer is yes and no.
The Risks of Old Spring Systems
These types of hinge and spring systems for one-piece garage doors are very old and are usually pretty rare to come across. However, they are still out there, and I have seen a handful in my time as a garage door technician. If your main question is whether they are dangerous due to their appearance, the answer is absolutely. That spring could break, sending it flying into the back wall of the garage.
Importance of Safety Cables
If a smart technician had caught the danger, they would have installed a safety cable. This cable runs through the middle of the spring, tied off to the front and rear where it attaches to the wall. The purpose of this safety cable is to keep the broken pieces of the spring from flying in random directions, which could cause a lot of damage. Essentially, the safety cable allows the broken pieces to slide along the cable, containing them somewhat.
Considerations for Playrooms
I had a customer with a door like this who wanted to turn the garage into a playroom for her kids. I advised her that it probably wouldn’t be a good idea unless she converted to a sectional roll-up garage door. I would not allow my children to play in a garage with such a volatile problem.
Durability and Trustworthiness of Springs
Most of the springs can be of industrial size and strength, designed to last a long time. However, without a safety cable, I wouldn’t trust it. It wouldn’t surprise me if a spring like that were to break and cause serious injury or even death. If you cannot convert your garage door right away, it’s essential to have a garage door company install a safety cable in that spring for added safety until you can convert to a sectional roll-up style door.
Options for Maintaining Aesthetic Appeal
If you like the design of your old wood garage door because it complements the architecture of your home, you might consider upgrading the old spring and hinge system to a more modern one for better safety and functionality.
The Role of Home Inspectors
A good home inspector will often catch these types of safety concerns. To a garage door technician, it sticks out like a sore thumb, but it may not be as apparent to some home inspectors. This is something to keep in mind if you see this kind of hinge and spring system while shopping for a new home.
Garage Doors in Different Regions
Any time you have a one-piece garage door in a home you are contemplating buying, you should ask anyone inspecting the home to look closely at the door. They should assess whether it is safe and recommend converting to a sectional roll-up if needed.
Covered by snow, these garage doors don’t work well in colder regions, often getting stuck if there’s a couple of feet of snow on the ground. Generally, these types of garage doors are found more in the western part of the United States and along the West Coast.