Which is better, torsion or extension springs?

Torsion springs are the better everyday choice for most Ottawa homes: they lift more evenly, last longer, run quieter, and fail in a more contained way. Extension springs are an older side-mounted design still found on some pre-1990s singles. They work, but they are harder on cables and more hazardous if a spring snaps without a safety cable.

Should I replace both garage door springs?

Usually yes. Springs are matched to the door weight and age together. When one breaks, the other is typically close to the end of its cycle life. Replacing both keeps the door balanced and avoids a second service call a few weeks later.

Are garage door springs dangerous to replace myself?

Yes. Torsion springs store a large amount of energy and must be wound with the correct bars and procedure. Extension springs can also cause serious injury if they snap or fly off the track. Leave spring work to a trained technician.

Torsion vs Extension Springs: What’s the Difference?

Q: How do I know if I have torsion or extension springs?

Look at the wall above the garage door opening from inside. A metal shaft with one or two thick coils is a torsion system. If that area is empty and you see long, thinner springs stretched along the horizontal tracks on each side, those are extension springs. If you see a round tube with no visible coils, it may be a TorqueMaster system.

Q: Can you convert extension springs to torsion?

Yes. When an older Ottawa door needs new springs anyway, converting from extension to a standard torsion setup is often the smarter long-term repair. It needs enough headroom above the opening and is quoted on site. GDS also converts TorqueMaster systems to standard torsion.

If you heard a bang, the door suddenly got heavy, or a technician mentioned “torsion” vs “extension,” you are looking at the two common ways a garage door is counterbalanced. Both lift the same weight. They sit in different places, fail differently, and are not equally safe to live with in an Ottawa winter.

This guide is for homeowners who want to identify what they have, understand why one type is usually recommended, and know when converting is worth it. For same-day replacement, see our garage door spring repair service.

Do not try to rewind or replace springs yourself. Torsion springs are under high tension. Extension springs can fly off the track if they snap. If the door will not stay up, leave it down, disconnect the opener if needed, and call 343-777-8893.

Intact torsion spring beside a snapped torsion spring on a garage floor in Ottawa — A matched torsion spring next to one that snapped in the middle — the usual “loud bang” on Ottawa doors.

How to tell which springs you have

Stand inside the garage and look at the wall above the door opening (you do not need to operate a broken door to do this).

Torsion springs

A horizontal metal shaft runs across the header. One or two thick coils sit on that shaft, often with a yellow or red mark on the winding cone. This is what most Kanata, Barrhaven, Stittsville, and newer Nepean doubles use.

Extension springs

Nothing thick sits above the opening. Instead, a long, thinner spring stretches along each horizontal track as the door goes up. Common on older singles in Westboro, Vanier, Sandy Hill, and some 1960s–80s bungalows in Bells Corners.

A third setup you may see on some Wayne Dalton doors is a TorqueMaster tube: a round shaft with no visible coils. Those springs hide inside the tube. We usually convert them to a standard torsion bar rather than rebuilding the old system.

How each type actually lifts the door

Torsion springs twist. As you close the door, the coils wind up on the shaft and store energy. Opening the door lets that energy unwind through drums and cables at each side, so the door feels almost weightless. One broken coil leaves a visible gap in the spring and dumps the full door weight onto the opener — which is why the opener often sounds like it is straining, or the door will not move at all.

Extension springs stretch. They hook between the rear track and the front, usually with a pulley and cable. As the door closes, the springs lengthen. When one snaps, the door often hangs crooked, a spring may dangle beside the track, and the remaining spring and cables take a beating.

Torsion vs extension at a glance

	Torsion	Extension
Where they sit	On a shaft above the door	Along both horizontal tracks
Typical Ottawa homes	1990s–today builder doubles, insulated steel doors	Older singles, alley / low-headroom garages
Lift quality	Even, quieter, easier on the opener	Less even; more cable and pulley wear
When one breaks	Loud bang; gap in the coil; door goes heavy	Spring hangs or flies; door often sits crooked
Safety	Contained on the shaft if handled correctly	Needs a safety cable through the coil; dangerous without one
Typical life here	About 7–12 years (shorter with Ottawa freeze-thaw)	Often shorter; rust and stretch show up sooner

Which is better for an Ottawa home?

For almost every attached double in the suburbs, torsion is the right system. It lifts a heavier insulated door more evenly, which matters when the bottom seal is frozen to the slab in January. It is also quieter against bedrooms over or beside the garage.

Extension springs are not “wrong” — they are just older hardware. Vitaliy still sees them weekly on inner-city singles and some rural outbuildings. They can be replaced like-for-like. If the door is staying, though, converting to torsion is usually the better spend: safer failure mode, fewer cable issues, and a door the opener does not have to fight.

Ottawa freeze-thaw and extra winter cycles wear springs faster than a milder city. We stock 10,000-cycle springs on the truck and usually recommend replacing both so the door stays balanced. Typical installed range is $250–$350 per spring — see the 2026 pricing guide.

When converting extension to torsion makes sense

Conversion is worth quoting when:

The extension springs have failed (or the safety cables are missing)
You are keeping the door for several more years
There is enough headroom above the opening for a torsion shaft
The opener is already straining or the door never sat level

It is not automatic. Tight alley garages and some heritage openings do not have the space. In those cases we replace the extension pair correctly, add safety cables if they were missing, and tell you straight if a new door would be cheaper long term. TorqueMaster conversions follow the same logic: get the springs out of the sealed tube and onto a standard bar we can service next time.

What a broken spring looks and sounds like

Torsion: a single loud bang, a gap in one coil, door too heavy to lift by hand, opener humming without moving the door
Extension: a bang or twang from the side, a spring hanging beside the track, door crooked in the opening, extra slack in one cable

Do not force the opener. Do not try to “just get the car out” by yanking the door. If you need the bay open, wait for a technician — here is what to do in an emergency. Same-day spring replacement across Ottawa is usually 30–60 minutes on site once we are there.

FAQ

How do I know if I have torsion or extension springs?

Look above the opening. Coils on a metal bar = torsion. Long springs along the side tracks = extension. A round tube with no coils often means TorqueMaster.

Which is better, torsion or extension?

Torsion, for most homes: smoother lift, longer life, safer contained failure. Extension is older side-mounted hardware we still repair, and often convert.

Can you convert extension springs to torsion?

Yes, when there is enough headroom. We quote it on site. We also convert TorqueMaster systems to a standard torsion shaft.

Should I replace both springs?

Usually yes. They age as a pair. Replacing one leaves the door unbalanced and often means a second call a few weeks later.

Can I replace garage door springs myself?

No. The stored energy can cause serious injury. Call a trained technician. We carry common sizes for same-day work, 7 AM – 4 PM Monday to Saturday.

Need springs replaced in Ottawa?

GDS replaces torsion and extension springs the same day across Ottawa and nearby suburbs, from 58 Larkspur Dr, Unit D, Nepean. Written quote before work starts, 3-year warranty on the repair, 5% off for seniors and veterans. Call or text 343-777-8893, book online, or request a quote. For the visit itself, read what to expect with spring replacement.