Garage door symptoms
I can barely lift my garage door by hand
A garage door too heavy to lift by hand is almost always short on spring tension, because the springs have worn out with age or one has broken. That is a spring repair rather than a lubrication job, and booking it soon spares the opener.
Updated
Lower it gently and stop trying to muscle it up
Do not keep lifting a garage door that feels heavy in your hands. The springs should carry nearly all of that weight, and a door that slips from your grip partway up comes down hard on whatever is beneath it. Ease it back to the floor, leave the opener off, and call before anyone tries again; we rebalance doors from Hillsboro to Gresham.
Likely causes, most common first
Lost spring tension explains far more heavy doors than friction does, and the rest of this list is short.
- Most common
The springs have lost tension with age
The sign: The door still opens on the opener, but by hand it takes real effort, it will not stay put at waist height, and the opener has started to sound slow or labored.
The fix: Replace the worn springs with a pair sized to the door, wound to its weight and proven with a balance test. Garage Door Spring Replacement, from $249
- Common
One of two torsion springs broke
The sign: The door still moves on the opener, but one of the two coils above it has split apart and the door runs lopsided.
The fix: Replace both torsion springs together so they share the load evenly, then rebalance the door. Garage Door Spring Replacement, from $249
- Common
The springs are the wrong size for the door
The sign: It has never felt right since an earlier spring repair, or since a window section, an insulation kit or a wood overlay added weight the springs were never chosen for.
The fix: Weigh the door, then fit springs calculated for its actual weight, height and drum size instead of a near match. Garage Door Spring Replacement, from $249
- Common
Rollers, hinges or bearings are dry or seized
The sign: The door grinds or squeals as it moves, the drag comes in patches rather than all the way up, and some rollers slide along the track instead of turning.
The fix: Replace seized rollers and worn bearings, lubricate the hinges, and recheck the balance once the friction is gone. Garage Door Roller and Hinge Replacement, from $199
- Less common
A track is bent or out of line
The sign: The door gets hard to move at one particular spot, where a roller rubs the edge of the track or the track bows away from the wall.
The fix: Straighten the bent track or swap that piece, then reset the brackets so every roller runs free. Garage Door Track Repair and Replacement, from $169
- Less common
The door is still latched to the opener
The sign: The door barely moves at all when you push up on it, and the release arm on the trolley is still hooked to the carriage.
The fix: Pull the red release only when the door is shut, before any hand lift, and have the trolley repaired if it will not let go. Garage Door Opener Repair, from $149
What you can safely check in two minutes
Each of these is done standing beside the closed door, without lifting it an inch.
- Glance up at the opener rail to see whether the door is still latched to the trolley.
- Compare the springs above the closed door; one that has split apart, or is far rustier than its partner, deserves a call.
- On a door with springs running along the ceiling tracks, check whether one hangs loose or looks longer than the other.
- Run your eye down both vertical tracks for a dent, a bow or a roller sitting outside the track.
- Think about recent changes: an insulation kit, a new window section, or a wood door that has soaked up a wet winter.
How the balance test works
A balanced door hangs in place when released at the halfway point, and the test takes about a minute starting from fully closed.
This is the check we run on every visit, not a homeowner test. With a broken spring the door stays where it is, and a door already hard to raise a foot has failed without one.
Begin with the door fully shut
The opener is released only with the door closed. Releasing an open door with weak springs lets it fall.
Release the opener
We pull the red cord to unhook the door from the trolley and unlock any slide bolt or T-handle.
Lift to waist height
We raise the door with palms flat under the bottom section, fingers clear of the hinge seams.
Let go and watch
A balanced door hovers in place. Sinking says the springs are weak, and creeping upward says they are wound too tight. Either way, the springs need work.
Why doors get heavier over the years
Doors rarely turn heavy overnight: the springs give up a little lift every season, while the door itself can quietly gain weight.
Every cycle relaxes a spring slightly, so a door that once rose with one hand can turn into a two-handed job without any part breaking. More of Washington County's housing dates from the 1990s than from any other decade, so a door original to one of those houses has run for over 25 years.
Wood is the other half of the story. Wood outdoors in Portland holds noticeably more moisture in January than in July, so an older wood door on a Grant Park or Irvington detached garage weighs more in winter, and springs that kept up through summer fall behind once the rain sets in.
When to stop lifting and call
Book a visit rather than another attempt by hand when any of these is true.
- The door slipped or dropped while you were raising it.
- One side rises ahead of the other, or the door twists as it moves.
- The opener has started stopping or reversing partway up.
- A spring shows a break, or one of the lift cables has gone slack.
- A car is trapped inside; mention it and we move the visit up.
What a balance repair involves
New springs sized to the door cure most heavy doors, with fresh rollers or bearings added when friction is part of the problem.
We weigh the door rather than trusting the tag on the old springs, since the door may have changed since they went in. The new springs are wound to that weight, the cables are wound evenly onto the drums, and the opener gets its force adjusted last so it guides the door instead of hauling it.
Door too heavy to lift: common questions
How heavy should a garage door feel when you lift it by hand?
It should feel light. With both springs whole, one hand on the handle and a steady push should raise it, and it should stay where you let go at waist height. The door itself is heavy, but the springs are meant to carry nearly all of it, so anything that takes real strain is out of balance.
Can the springs on a heavy garage door be adjusted instead of replaced?
Sometimes, when the springs are fairly new and have only lost a little tension. A technician can add a little winding and rebalance the door. On springs that are years old, extra winding stresses steel that is already close to failing, so replacement is the honest call. Winding is never a homeowner job.
Why did my garage door get heavy after an insulation kit was added?
Because the kit added weight the original springs were never sized for. Foam panels, backing and fasteners spread across a double door add up. The springs need to be recalculated for the new weight, and replaced if they cannot safely be wound far enough. Until then, the opener is lifting the difference on every trip.
Will a garage door that is heavy to lift wear out the opener?
Yes, over time. The opener is sized to move a door the springs have already balanced, so extra weight loads its motor, drive gear and sprocket on every cycle. Slowing, straining and reversing partway up are early signs. Fixing the springs first usually saves the opener from a gear replacement later.
Why does my wood garage door feel heavier to lift in winter?
Wood takes on moisture from damp air, so a wood door gains weight through a wet Portland winter. If the springs were barely keeping up in summer, that water weight can tip the door into feeling heavy. Keeping the paint or stain sealed, especially along the bottom edge, limits how much water the wood absorbs.
Related pages
Areas we cover for this
Calls about a door too heavy to lift come in from Laurelhurst, Powellhurst-Gilbert, St. Johns and every other part of the metro we serve.
Ready to get the door moving again?
Call with the symptom, or text a photo of the door and the opener, and we will name the part and the posted price before anyone drives out.