2026-04-10 7 min read
If your garage door suddenly feels like it weighs 300 pounds, drops faster than it should, or made a loud bang you heard from inside the house. your spring is probably the problem. Springs are the single most failure-prone component on any garage door, and here in Klickitat, they take a beating that most homeowners don't think about until the door stops moving.
Klickitat sits in a steep-walled valley along the Klickitat River, and that geography matters more than people realize. The valley walls trap cold air on the floor, making winters here noticeably colder and snowier than nearby towns like White Salmon or Bingen across the river. That repeated freeze-thaw cycle. temperatures swinging through the 27°F,47°F range from December through March. puts real stress on metal hardware, and springs are no exception. Add the Columbia River Gorge's notorious gap winds (sustained gusts that can push 40,60+ mph during spring months), and your door hardware is working against forces most standard residential equipment wasn't designed to fight every single day.
Your garage door. whether it's a single-car or double-car. weighs anywhere from 130 to over 300 pounds. The springs are what make it feel light when you lift it manually or when the opener runs. They store energy when the door closes and release it to assist the lift cycle.
There are two main types:
- Torsion springs mount horizontally on a metal bar above the door opening. They twist (torque) to store energy and are the modern standard for most homes. They're more expensive but safer and longer-lasting. typically rated for 10,000 to 20,000 cycles. - Extension springs run along the sides of the door parallel to the horizontal tracks. They stretch as the door closes and contract to help it open. They're cheaper upfront but have shorter lifespans and can be dangerous if they snap without a safety cable in place.
Many of the older mill-era homes in Klickitat. built decades ago when the timber industry ran this town. still have original extension spring systems. If you've lived in the same house for 10+ years and never thought about your springs, it's worth a look.
Springs don't always go all at once with a dramatic bang (though that does happen). Watch for these warning signs:
- The door feels heavy when you lift it manually. A properly balanced door should feel like roughly 10,15 pounds. If it feels like you're lifting the door itself, the spring has likely lost tension. - The door won't stay open halfway. Lift the door to waist height and let go. It should stay put. If it drifts down, the counterbalancing tension is gone. - Visible gaps in the coils. On a torsion spring, healthy coils sit flush against each other. If you can see a gap. especially a gap that wasn't there before. the spring is broken or near failure. - The opener runs but the door doesn't move. The motor is trying, but without spring assistance it can't lift the door's full weight. Running the opener this way can burn out the motor. - A sudden loud bang from the garage. That's a spring snapping under tension. Stop using the door immediately and call for service.
In Klickitat's damp winters, rust is also a real accelerant. Moisture settles in the valley during January and December. humidity regularly hits 85%. and untreated metal springs can corrode from the inside out, reducing their effective lifespan significantly. A light coat of lithium-based lubricant every six months goes a long way toward prevention. You can learn more about keeping all your hardware in shape with our seasonal maintenance checklist.
Here's the honest breakdown for 2026:
- Torsion springs: $150,$350 per spring, including parts and labor - Extension springs: $100,$200 per spring - Two-spring systems (most double-car doors): $200,$500 total - Labor alone: typically $75,$150 of that bill
One important thing most homeowners don't know: always replace both springs at the same time, even if only one has broken. Springs age together. If one has failed, the other is close behind. and having a technician come back for a second call costs more than just doing both at once. It also keeps the door balanced, which protects your opener motor from strain.
If your springs are combined with damaged cables or track issues (which can happen after a Gorge windstorm flexes the door repeatedly), budget closer to $200,$500 for the full repair. Check out our full services overview to understand what a complete inspection covers.
This is not a judgment on your mechanical abilities. It's a physics problem. Torsion springs store an enormous amount of energy. enough to lift a 250-pound door thousands of times. When that energy releases unexpectedly, it can cause serious injury or death. Professional technicians use calibrated winding bars and proper safety equipment. The few hundred dollars you might save is not worth the risk, and most hardware stores won't even sell you the right springs without commercial accounts.
The FAQ page covers common questions about what's involved in a professional spring service visit if you want to know what to expect.
Standard springs are typically rated for 7,12 years or 10,000 cycles under normal conditions. But "normal conditions" doesn't describe life in the Klickitat Valley. The extra cold on the valley floor, the moisture that settles in during winter, and the mechanical stress from Gorge winds all tend to shorten that lifespan. If you're using your garage as your main entry point. as most people do. you're running through cycles faster than average.
High-cycle springs, rated for 25,000,50,000 cycles, cost more upfront but can last 15,20 years. In a place like Klickitat where the nearest big-box hardware store isn't exactly around the corner, minimizing how often you need a service call has real value.
If your springs are approaching 10 years old or you're noticing any of the warning signs above, it's worth having Klickitat Garage Doors come out for an inspection before you're left with a door that won't open on a freezing January morning. Schedule a visit and we can assess your current spring system and let you know honestly where you stand.
You can, but it's not recommended. Both springs age at the same rate, so if one breaks, the other is likely close behind. Replacing just one leaves your door unbalanced and risks a second service call within months. Most technicians. including ours. will recommend replacing both in a single visit to save you money long-term.
Look above your garage door opening. If you see a horizontal metal bar with a spring coiled around it, that's a torsion system. If you see springs running along the sides of the door toward the back of the garage, those are extension springs. If you're not sure, take a photo and send it to us. we can tell you right away.
Running your opener with a broken spring forces the motor to lift the full weight of the door, which it wasn't designed to do. This can burn out the motor in a single use or cause the door to drop suddenly, damaging the door itself or anything underneath it. If you hear that loud snap, disconnect the opener and leave the door in place until a technician arrives.