You probably heard the term ‘extension springs’ being thrown around quite a few times by a garage repair technician or the company. The same goes for the term torsion springs, which perhaps not as many people may have heard of but are just as crucial to the functioning of your garage door as the extension springs. However, the question we get asked a lot is what is the difference between the two? In this article, we will attempt to answer this question and also explain what each of these springs does.

Extension Vs. Torsion Springs

Let’s start with the torsion spring, which you’ll usually find in the shaft located on top of the garage door. These springs are large; some garage doors may use more than one torsion spring. Each time you open and close the door, the torsion spring unwinds and then winds consequently lowering and lifting the door.

Extension springs are comparatively smaller and located on either side of the garage door. You’ll find these springs on generally smaller garage doors. The interesting thing worth noting is that you’ll never find both extension and torsion springs in the same garage door.

Image Credit Wikimedia Commons

Image Credit Wikimedia Commons

Which Type of Spring is Better?

Most garage door technicians will tell you that torsion springs are better and we’d agree with them. The one benefit of torsion springs is that they last longer but are often twice as expensive. So, you’re getting better value with them. Plus, torsion will lower and raise the door in a more controlled manner, so there is almost no swinging motion. Extension springs, on the other hand, may be cheaper, but they don’t last as long and will move the door with a jerky motion. That’s why they undergo a lot of wear and tear.

Extension springs will require that garage door owners spend more on maintenance as the apparatus associated with them is more complex. It isn’t easy to get to all the areas you want to lubricate, so a professional is required to do it for you. Torsion springs are known to snap and when they do the resulting sound is horrifying for most people. But otherwise, they are pretty safe unless the spring flies off. So regular maintenance is almost always imperative regardless of how old the garage door may be.

What Type of Spring Should You Choose?

If you’re on a budget, then extension springs are the way to go. The biggest advantage apart from the price is that they can be useful for homes that have a lot of overhead space to accommodate the large spring. They are also safe as long as it is maintained professionally part of which is monitoring its wear and tear  so that it is replaced before snapping. If you are still on the fence, we recommend you contact us for professional consultation.