Garage door springs are the mechanisms that open the garage doors. There are two kinds: extension springs and torsion springs, with the latter being the most dangerous ones.

Sectional and One-piece tilt up doors come also come with garage door extension springs. Such doors usually weigh less. The extension spring is stretched from the top of the garage door to the back of the upper tracks. Although there’s a little danger involved, but extension springs are still safer to handle if you’re used to fixing things around the house yourself.

On the other hand, heavier doors like sectional doors use torsion springs. Installing torsion springs necessarily requires professional help, because handling them yourself can lead to serious injuries. In some cases, even deaths have been reported. For every door, two torsion springs need to be installed on each side.

Some people produce tutorials on how to install torsion garage door springs, others say that it is as easy as fixing a car. However, you should remember that a regular door weighs 300-400 pounds, and these springs are capable of lifting this heavy door easily. Only try to imagine the power secluded in these springs, and the danger of them hitting you, especially in the head.