This is a question we get asked almost daily as we replace broken garage door springs. We try to always
give home owners options when it comes to replacing garage door springs. First the weight of the
garage door in many cases will dictate how many springs are needed for your garage door, if the garage
door is a single car door either 8×7 or 8×8 made of aluminum or other lightweight material, then it will
require only one spring. If you have very large heavy door then two or more springs will be required,
some very heavy wood doors may require 3 or even 4 springs to provide enough lifting strength to
counter balance the weight of the garage door.
Many home builders use only one spring when they install garage doors, this practice saves money, but
may not be the best option for the garage door system. Single spring systems can provide adequate
counter balance for the garage door, but when the garage door is fully open, the single spring tries to
compress putting added pressure and stress on the center bearing and the components on the opposite
side of the spring. This, over time can lead to premature failure of the center bearing and bracket as well
as to the end bearing plate on the opposite side from the spring. Two spring systems even out the
pressure as both springs are trying to compress and push against each other when the door is in the fully
open position. This takes the stress off the other components leading to longer life of the components.
Two spring systems also provide the added benefit that if one spring breaks or fails, the other spring still
provides some lifting strength, allowing the door to be opened and closed to get your vehicle out. It is
not recommended that the garage door be used when a spring is broken except to allow you to get your
car out. In this situation use extreme caution when opening and closing the garage door as the door will
be very heavy and the one good spring will probably not have enough strength to hold the door open.
Whenever possible, we always recommend a two spring system option to the homeowner, but we also
offer a single spring option if it is available. The choice is always the homeowners, we just explain the
options and make recommendations for replacement.
Whether you choose to use a single spring system or a two spring system, the objective is to have a
perfectly balanced garage door. A perfectly balanced garage door will be easy for you to open and close
manually in the event your garage door opener fails or you have a power outage. A perfectly balanced
garage door will also increase the life of the garage door, the springs and all other components in the
garage door system. No matter how small and light or large and heavy your garage door is, the proper
size spring(s) will balance the door and keep the garage door functioning properly and trouble free for
many years.
