Orion Township in northern Oakland County is lake country, with the Village of Lake Orion at its center and homes spread around lakes, wooded lots and newer subdivisions. Neighboring Oxford, Auburn Hills and Independence Township share the same mix of suburban and semi-rural living.
This page covers spring repair and replacement, opener service and after-hours emergencies, along with commercial operators for businesses in the township.
Torsion vs. extension springs
Most newer homes here use torsion springs, mounted on a shaft above the door. They wind up as the door closes and unwind to help lift it. Older garages may still have extension springs running alongside the horizontal tracks, which stretch as the door comes down.
Both types wear out, but extension springs carry an extra risk: one that snaps with no safety cable threaded through it can send the spring and its hardware flying across the garage. If your door uses extension springs, make sure containment cables are installed, or ask about converting to a torsion system.
Spring life and the case for high-cycle springs
Standard residential springs are commonly rated for about ten thousand open-and-close cycles. A household that opens the door four times a day uses nearly fifteen hundred cycles a year, so even a well-made spring has a finite life, and families who treat the garage as their front door wear through springs sooner.
On a door with two springs, a technician will usually change the pair together so the lift stays even. High-cycle springs carry a higher price but are built for far more cycles, which can pay off on a door that sees heavy daily use. The new springs must be sized to the door's weight and height, and fitting them takes training and proper winding tools.
Opener service and after-hours emergencies
Opener calls range from remotes that stopped working to motors that hum without moving. Before calling, check the photo eyes, the wall control's lock setting and the outlet. If the door moved partway and reversed, the opener may be reacting to a heavy door rather than failing itself.
True emergencies include a door stuck open at night, a vehicle trapped inside or a door hanging by one cable. Keep everyone clear of a door that is crooked or partly open, do not pull the emergency release if a spring is broken, and call for 24/7 service.
Commercial operators for local businesses
Shops, warehouses and service businesses use commercial operators that differ from residential openers: trolley operators for lighter sectional doors, jackshaft operators mounted beside the door, and hoist operators with a manual chain backup for heavier doors. They are rated for more cycles and often include features like timer-to-close and monitored safety edges.
When installing or replacing a commercial operator, match it to the door type, size, weight and daily cycle count. Safety devices such as photo eyes and reversing edges should be tested regularly, especially on doors that customers or staff walk through.
Lakeside humidity and hardware
Homes close to the water deal with more humidity than those on higher, open ground. Damp air speeds rust on springs, cables and bottom brackets and can swell wood doors. Keep moving parts lubricated, repaint chipped steel and ask a technician to look at any rust where the cables attach near the floor.
Last updated by the American Garage Door Team.