I Learned The Hard Way Not To Mess With Broken Garage Door Springs Yourself

Ever since we bought our house a few years ago, I had been the go-to guy for any DIY projects or repairs that came up. Simple fixes for leaky faucets, hanging shelves, or rehanging a squeaky door were no problem for me to handle on my own. So when our heavy garage door started making a grinding noise and refusing to budge halfway up or down a few weeks ago, I saw it as another easy self-fix. But I was wrong.

The Diagnosis

As I examined the door more closely, it became clear one of the thick cable springs wrapped around the rollers had snapped. After consulting some repair videos online, I thought replacing the broken spring would be straightforward. How hard could it be, right? All I needed were a few basic tools and I’d be back to using the garage in no time.

Attempting The Repair

I spent the next few hours carefully unhooking the old spring and winding a new one into place following the steps showed. Or so I thought. Something wasn’t sitting right, and no matter what I tried, the spring was staying coiled awkwardly when I let it go. That’s when things took a turn for the worse.

The Unraveling

As I tugged and twisted, trying in vain to get that spring to lock into place, it suddenly whipped around the roller with a vengeance. Its tightly coiled steel wires struck with lightning speed, catching my arm and leaving a deep gash. Blood poured from the wound as shock and panic set in. I had severely underestimated the potential danger in my minimally-equipped garage.

Calling In The Pros

After applying pressure to stem the blood flow, I knew it was time to accept defeat. One trip to the emergency room and several stitches later, I was more than willing to let experts handle the job. Garage Door Spring Repair in Short Pump came highly recommended, and it was easy to see why after watching their skilled technicians assess the door, replace both springs in under an hour, and have it running good as new – all without incident.

The Valuable Lesson

While my DIY spirit saved money on many projects over the years, there are some repairs truly best left to the professionals. Heavy-duty garage door mechanisms under high tension require special tools and training I didn’t have. One careless mistake ended up costing me physically, and could have been far worse. Now I know when my ability ends and it’s time to call in reinforcements! Stick to tasks you’re qualified for.