How to Know the Size of your Garage Door Torsion/Tension Spring - Weighing your Garage Door

HOW TO WEIGH YOUR GARAGE DOOR

The weight of your garage door is important because it determines the spring sizes. If you have to replace garage door springs, the weight of your door determines the proper spring size. While you can call a garage door repair company to come out, it’s nice to know how to weigh your garage door. Keep reading for instructions and helpful tips on garage door weight and springs.

1. Disengage the garage door from the opener using the release handle. This transfers the weight of the door from the springs to the person opening the door. Remove the opener arm. Disengaging the trolley from the drawbar carriage is not enough. Often the outer carriage will catch on the inner carriage resulting in a false reading. Failure to disengage the opener will not only distort the weight you get, but it could also damage your door and opener.

2. Gather a mechanical scale and place it in front of the garage door center.

3. For a one-car garage door, lift from the center of the door and place the scale underneath. You need two or three people to weigh a two-car garage door. Two people to lift on both sides at once, and a third person to slide the scale under the door.

4. Release the door onto the scale and capture the garage door weight.

5. Lift the door and remove the scale.

6. Reattach the garage door to the opener.