Most homeowners do not give a lot of thought to their garage door. In fact, the only time a lot of homeowners think about their garage door is when it stops working. Suddenly, you find yourself in a situation where you are forced to make all sorts of decisions regarding materials, installations, and types of door springs. While choosing door springs for your garage might not seem like a big deal, it is for a lot of different reasons.

Choosing the Right Door Springs is Important

Homeowners who shrug off the selection process when it comes to garage door springs are the same homeowners who have to deal with personal injury, property damage, and even fatalities when the spring malfunctions. While there are several different types of garage door springs, extension and torsion tend to be the two more common options.

What to Know About Extension Springs

The extension springs are located just above the upper horizontal tracks on the sides of your garage door. This is actually the most common type of door spring. Just as the name suggests, these springs extend in order to allow the door to open. Extension springs should always be paired with a set of safety cables. The safety cables are what prevent the extension springs from extending to the point of becoming a projectile object.

What to Know About Torsion Springs

A torsion spring uses torque to open and close a garage door instead of extending. This spring is located just above the opening of the garage. The spring will twist slowly around a coil when force is applied to open or close the garage door. Torsion springs are available in a wide range of options varying based on the weight and size of the garage door.

How Do You Select the Better Option?

Extension springs tend to be the more popular option because they are cheaper. It is, however, important to know that extension springs are more exposed than torsion springs which makes them more dangerous. If you happen to have children, it is often safer to go with the torsion springs. Torsion springs are also able to support heavier garage doors and tend to have a longer lifespan.

Ultimately, which type of garage door springs you choose depends on your budget and how big of a concern safety and exposed parts are for you. If you are not worried about children playing with the garage door, the garage door is lightweight, or you just do not have a lot of money to spend on the springs, extension is going to be the better option.