# The springs do the lifting, so leave them to a technician

Source: https://garagedoorscience.com/academy/how-your-garage-door-works/what-the-springs-do · part of [How your garage door works, and what to do when it does not](https://garagedoorscience.com/academy/how-your-garage-door-works) · 4 min

When you raise your garage door, the springs carry its weight. Clopay, a door maker, says homeowners have two main options: torsion springs and extension springs. You can usually tell which kind you have just by looking up from the floor.

## Above the door, or along the tracks

Torsion springs sit above the door, mounted on a metal shaft. They use torque to lift the weight of the door, winding and unwinding as the door moves. If you see a spring on a bar running across the wall above your closed door, that is likely what you have.

Extension springs sit somewhere else. They run parallel to the tracks on either side of the door. So if your springs sit along the tracks, off to each side, you have extension springs.

There is one plus for torsion springs. Because they sit above the door, they are less likely to fly loose if they break.

## Why this is never a weekend job

Clopay says both kinds of spring are under extreme tension, and even a small mistake can cause serious injury or property damage. If an extension spring breaks, it can snap back with significant force, which is why safety cables are essential.

So springs and cables are always a technician's job. Not most of the time. Always. If your springs are broken or improperly tensioned, do not adjust or remove them yourself. Call a qualified garage door repair professional instead.

DASMA, the door makers' trade group, goes further. It says not to try to remove, repair or adjust springs or any door parts or mounting surfaces, including cables, steel brackets and wood blocks. Because of the dangers involved, all repairs and adjustments must be done by a trained door systems technician using proper tools and instructions.

Your part is simpler, and it matters. Look, but do not touch. If a spring looks broken or a cable looks wrong, leave both alone and call a technician. Knowing which kind of spring you have will help you describe the problem clearly when you do.

## Try this

Not sure which kind of spring you have, or whether yours looks right? Describe what you see to [the Virtual Technician](/diagnose), from the floor, without touching anything.

## Go further

- Lab: [The Science of Garage Door Springs](https://garagedoorscience.com/labs/science-of-garage-door-springs)
- Video: [Spring Safety · Intro](https://garagedoorscience.com/videos/spring-safety-intro)
- Article: [The torsion shaft assembly: what it is, what it does, and where the danger lives](https://garagedoorscience.com/blog/torsion-shaft-assembly-explained)
- Article: [Your garage door is broken. Here's what a repair actually looks like.](https://garagedoorscience.com/blog/garage-door-repair-when-to-call-professional)

## Sources

- [Garage Door Spring Systems: A Buying Guide for Homeowners](https://www.clopaydoor.com/residential/buyingguide/garage-door-spring-system)
- [Garage Door Maintenance Guide](https://www.clopaydoor.com/residential/buyingguide/service-and-replacement)
- [Residential Sectional Garage Door and Electric Operator Checklist for Home Inspectors and Consumers](https://www.dasma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/TDS167.pdf)