Problems with roller shutters in garages or shops are by far among the most common, as by their nature roller shutters are consumable elements, predisposed to wear and tear and exposed to the elements, and therefore the probability that they are involved in mechanical problems is higher. Among the most common is the breakage of the damper spring. How can you recognize it? The most common and evident sign of spring breakage is the abnormally inclined damper sheet, typically obliquely. In most cases it occurs when you see the shutter crooked or when it rises or falls with difficulty, or even when it does so too suddenly.
As mentioned, there are many factors that can lead to the breakage of roller shutter springs, made of hardened steel. Among these, in addition to the aforementioned wear and tear, there is, for example, the sudden change in temperature (in the change of season, for example), the enemy of mechanical systems. A failure of a pin or lack of prevention could also contribute to the breakage. It may happen that you had noticed for some time that something was wrong with the operation of the shutter, but you did not give it much importance and continued to use it normally. Here, after the first signs, the break has arrived.
The breakage of a spring never occurs when the damper is stationary, but always occurs when it is operated in one or the other direction. The springs that balance the dampers are generally of two types: the belt springs, the most common, and the torsion springs. The band springs are used to create the balance of the damper and when they give way, release or break, the damper tends to go down on its own, often to the ground. In the event of a breakage there will probably be one or more springs to be changed and below we want to explain how to intervene.
Damper spring breakage: what to do and what not to do
As mentioned, the springs are made of hardened steel. An important clarification, before continuing: they can NEVER be welded or jointed, but only entirely replaced. Should you find anomalies or breakages, it is first and foremost necessary to secure the room and call a professional technician who can intervene promptly to replace worn or broken boxes or springs. We strongly advise you to absolutely avoid do-it-yourself, as incorrect replacement can have unpleasant consequences from a safety point of view, causing serious damage to people or objects placed near the shutter. Then, you can call our garage door repair service in Laguna Niguel for a proper replacement done by qualified personnel.
It is not necessary, therefore, to wait for the problem to arise in the most striking phase such as the actual blockade, but as mentioned periodic checks should be made. In general, the best way to intervene for a shutter is to do prevention. Metal mechanisms that are stressed several times a day need careful and constant maintenance, which could help prevent breakage. Therefore, as soon as you notice a malfunction of the shutter, it is good to intervene by calling a specialized locksmith, thus avoiding running into dangerous or annoying situations. Consider that if you don’t take immediate action to maintain a lockout, instead of a spring or pin, you may need to replace a larger number of them, with a clear impact on the total cost of repair.
Repair of roller shutter
During repair or maintenance work, our specialist technicians first carry out a general check and then replace broken or worn parts. In the first phase, they lower the entire damper to check how many and which springs are broken or in poor condition, as well as the spring holders (they may have bearings in an advanced state of wear). It is possible that only one spring will be replaced, but in general, if technicians detect problems with more than one spring, they recommend replacing the entire shaft with spring holders and new springs. This is a job that serves to extend the life of the shutter, so as to have a uniform load and equal reliability over time.
During the intervention, the cleanliness of the guides and the possible presence of bad or loose screws in the guides themselves are also checked, in order to ensure that the damper slides smoothly up and down. In the event of a single spring breakage, our technicians take the measurement, prepare a new one in the workshop and replace it on site, detaching the compromised one and inserting the new one. Finally, they lubricate the shaft and carry out function tests.