Keeping your vehicles safe and secure can be a huge concern, but your garage won't remain in its best shape without your attention. Over time, the stress put on the moving parts of your garage door can cause some serious issues, and it's important that you can identify early signs of trouble before they become more serious.

Below, you'll find a guide to some signs that your garage door spring is in need of replacement or repair. These high tension springs can cause serious damage if they rupture, so keeping an eye out for these red flags will help guarantee that you can avoid dangerous consequences.

Out Of Balance Springs

When your garage door starts to move slowly and hesitantly, it's often a sign that your balance is starting to fail. While this can occasionally be caused by mechanical faults or worn batteries in your automatic opener, there's an easy way to verify that the issue is originating in the springs.

If you notice your garage door raising or lowering unevenly, you should disconnect the opener and attempt to articulate the door manually. If it still seems jerky or hesitant, the balance is likely off. This may require you to have the door springs replaced before the balance is so far askew that it stresses the supporting components of your door and causes a failure.

Ruptured Safety Cables

Garage door springs store enormous tension, and if they break, the energy released could cause significant injury if a person was nearby. In order to mitigate those concerns, safety cables are installed along with the high tension springs. 

If those cables are severed, however, you could potentially be at risk. If you ever notice a safety cable being disconnected from it's mount, it could be a sign that stress and forces have started to wear on your door. Safety cables offer your last line of defense, and as such, they need to be carefully monitored.

Bent Spring Brackets

The brackets which attach the spring to the door are under perhaps the most strain of any component of the garage door. While they're typically made of very strong metal alloys which are designed to stand up to that stress, they can be worn down over time. If you notice spring brackets beginning to bend or pull away from the door, you need to replace them. Otherwise, the rest of the door will lose its structural integrity and you could find yourself dealing with a serious rupture.