Repairs and servicing
Why is my garage door so heavy to lift?
A UK garage door that has become heavy to lift is most often caused by a weakening or broken spring, which normally counterbalances most of the door's weight. Spring replacement typically costs £150–£350 inc. VAT for a pair. A bent track, worn cable or a dry, seized roller can also add noticeable resistance.
The spring is doing most of the work
On a correctly balanced door, the springs counteract nearly all of the door's weight, so a healthy door should lift with only light effort even though the panel itself may weigh well over 50kg. A door that has become gradually or suddenly heavier is telling you the spring has lost tension — either through fatigue, a partial fracture, or full failure.
Other causes worth ruling out
Before assuming it is definitely the spring, check whether the track has been knocked out of alignment (look for a kink or a section pulling away from the wall), whether a cable has frayed or come off a drum, and whether the rollers are dry and dragging rather than rolling freely. A quick wipe and light lubricant on the rollers and track sometimes restores most of the ease of movement if the springs are still sound.
Questions people ask
- Is it safe to keep using a heavy door until it is fixed?
- It is best not to. A door that has become heavy because of a failing spring or cable is at risk of slamming shut or falling if the component fails completely mid-use, which can cause injury or damage. Treat a sudden increase in weight as a sign to stop using the door and book a repair.
- Could it be the operator rather than the springs?
- If the door is electric and feels heavy specifically when you try to move it by hand with the operator disengaged, that points to the springs or mechanics rather than the motor. If the motor itself is straining, humming or tripping out, that can also be a symptom of the springs not doing their job, forcing the motor to lift more of the weight.
- How quickly should I get a heavy door looked at?
- Book it in promptly — a door that is noticeably heavier than normal is often a spring in the process of failing rather than one that has failed outright, and catching it before a full snap is safer and usually no more expensive.
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