Oh, the buzz that happens on the Web about garage door springs…
Extreme ranges of opinion and practice lurk everywhere. Some people say it’s illegal to sell them, others advertise them to be as standard and common as pliers or wrenches.
Take this example: one merchant site I saw recently advertised a .273, 2″ or 1.75″ ID, up to 30″ spring for sale. Sound like a good selection?
Not. .273″ for either ID up to and including 30″ lengths are considered overstressed for all common garage door sizes. Even though engineering programs can do the math and spec the lift for a spring like this, customers would be left with a broken spring before they expected or desired. Particularly if they mismatch springs on a two-spring system.
DDM Garage Doors sources high-quality spring steel made in the USA and always seeks to sell matching springs, rated for door weight, with 10, 000 or more cycles–all delivered to you in the most cost-effective and time-efficient way possible.
So click on the link above and get your spring order turning today!
If you buy garage door torsion springs – even in the off season – remember batting averages.
Measure garage door springs using a tape measure, 10-and 20-coil counts. Use the conversion chart at the measurement link.
Express the wire size in terms of a three-digit decimal. .262 for example. Do not measure one coil and use a fraction!
Now the numbers that come in for most residential garage doors are not going to be high for batting averages~ But you get the point.
With permission, I share comments to me from Jim L. in Warren, MI regarding why he chose DDM to order his springs:
…some feedback. I am ordering from your company because I value honesty, integrity, and old fashioned American customer service. The information on your website supports my belief that your business is genuinely dedicated to mitigating the risk of people doing this home repair themselves, by openly discussing the procedures, issues, and dangers involved. I plan to use the detailed illustrations online as a guide for the work.
Of all the comments I receive, this says it exceptionally well, as this is exactly how I envision our company–going the extra mile in service, and providing help to people who simply want to do the job safely and right.
Buy garage door springs here, and I’ll help you in the same way.
When you buy garage door weatherstripping this winter season, beware of these common error issues en route to your purchase:
1. Buying enough weatherstripping for your door’s height or width.
It is best to over-order a little than to undershoot. For example, with bottom inserts, you may need 1 foot more than the width of your door to have enough to fold over and re-insert into the channel to ensure a snug fit that will not shift from side to side. Also, make sure that you have thick enough product to cover all the potential gaps. Conduct a visual inspection of your door’s sealable area, and take measurements. See #7 below for tips on this.
2. Ordering the corresponding sizes of inserts for retainers.
For top and side weatherstripping, standard retainer goes with standard inserts, and large retainer goes with large inserts.
3. Ordering non-matching inserts for your retainer type
Bottom “T” U-shaped astragal goes with bottom retainer with double, 1/4″ “T” shaped channels. Bead shaped astragal goes with bead retainers. Certain door makes such as Wayne Dalton have their own “D” shape style ends. Clopay door often uses a connection where both ends of the insert fit into a single groove, with the insert material shaped like the picture below. Single “T” shaped retainers take bulb seal (pictured above), which flattens from an “O” shape to form the seal.
4. Ordering commercial product for a residential application and vice versa.
2″ PVC stop molding is the most popular residential top and side seal. We carry several colors, and two shades of brown. (Call us in any case you want brown PVC). Commercial product commonly mounts to angle located on the inside of the door, and hence the word “angle” comes in with commercial top and side seals.
5. Ordering seal with inserts.
If you order a “bottom seal,” you have the surface for fastening to the door, and the rubber or vinyl seal as well. It is not necessary to order inserts if you have a bottom seal product.
6. Ordering appropriate width of a bottom insert
If your door is 2″ thick, you’d be best off with 4″ wide insert. If 1 3/8″ thick, go with 3″. General rule of thumb is at least 2x the door’s width for the insert width.
7. Underestimating the level of weather sealing needed for your climate and conditions
Synthetic rubber products are generally better for sealing and durability than vinyl. Extremely cold, coastal, and storm-prone regions need special care and high-durability products. If you have any doubt about a particular product’s coverage area, take pictures of the area(s) needed to seal, and include tape measure readings in the pic. Often, narrative content helps too. Tell us about your total door area, and thickness of door, jamb and header material, and any other details, and contact us. We will review the situation and make recommendations as necessary.
In any case, it is the aim of DDM Garage Doors to put the right products in our customers’ hands the first time, at a great price, leading to energy savings and peace of mind about the garage door this winter and always!
DDM makes it easier to buy garage door springs.
We’ve flow-charted and rounded up all the information needed to take you from square one on springs – to a completed order.
Through this page, you’ll learn how to tell what spring system you have, how to determine wind, wire size, inside diameter, and spring length. You will get frequently asked questions answered, learn the industry’s specifications and standards, and contact information if your particular spring situation needs specialized attention.
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