Update: I tried to fix my own garage door spring for $50 and it snapped back at me

I used to think I could fix anything with a YouTube video and some basic tools, but last Tuesday my garage door wouldn't open and I decided to replace the spring myself to save the $200 service call. The spring slipped off my wrench while I was winding it, flew across the garage, and put a hole in my drywall, which taught me some jobs need a pro. Has anyone else learned the hard way to call for help with something specific?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona_walker148d agoMost Upvoted

You mentioned the spring could have hit his arm instead of the workbench. Do you know if he was using the proper winding bars, or just trying to make do with whatever tools he had on hand? I've read that using anything but the right steel bars is asking for trouble.

wells.reese8d ago

Honestly, that's a cheap lesson for a garage door spring. Those things are under insane tension, and when they go, they can do way worse than drywall damage. I knew a guy who tried it and ended up with a spring embedded in his workbench, and he was lucky it wasn't his arm. That's one repair I'll always pay for.