2026-03-28 7 min read
If you've lived in Keene for more than one summer, you already know what the heat does to everything it touches. Paint fades. Wood warps. And your garage door springs. those heavy-duty coils doing the real work every time you come and go. take a beating that most homeowners never think about until something snaps.
Keene's climate is no joke. Summers regularly push temperatures toward and past the triple-digit mark, with August averaging a daily high around 95°F and a heat index that can make it feel even worse. Then winter nights dip into the upper 30s. That's a swing of 60 degrees or more across the seasons, and your garage door hardware is living through all of it.
Your garage door's torsion spring or extension springs are under constant tension. Every time the door opens or closes, the spring winds or unwinds, storing and releasing energy. Springs are rated for a set number of cycles. typically around 10,000 for standard residential hardware.
The problem in North Texas is that heat doesn't just sit there passively. It actively accelerates the wear process. High temperatures cause metal to expand, and when combined with daily temperature swings common across Johnson County, the spring coils experience repeated stress that weakens them over time. Dry summer conditions also strip away lubrication faster than you'd expect, increasing friction on every moving part.
The result? Springs that might last 7,10 years in a milder climate can fail significantly earlier here. That's not a scare tactic. it's just the reality of what regular maintenance in this climate looks like when you skip it.
Most spring failures don't happen out of nowhere. The door usually gives you signals first:
- The door feels heavier than usual when you try to lift it manually. Disconnect the opener and try. a properly balanced door should stay put at about waist height. - Slow or jerky movement during opening or closing. - A loud bang from the garage, even when you weren't using it. This is often the sound of a spring snapping under tension. - The opener strains or reverses without finishing the cycle. - Visible gaps in the spring coil. a stretched or separated coil means it's already broken.
If any of these show up, stop using the door and call a professional. A door with a failed spring can weigh 150,300 pounds and is genuinely dangerous to operate without the spring counterbalancing that weight.
This point is worth saying plainly: spring replacement is not a weekend project. The springs are under extreme stored tension, and attempting to remove or install them without the proper tools and training has caused serious injuries. If you notice a problem, the right move is to contact a qualified technician.
This is true whether you're in Keene, over in Cleburne, or anywhere else in Johnson County. The physics of a coiled spring under that much pressure doesn't care how handy you are.
You can't stop the heat, but you can reduce how much damage it does to your system. Here's what actually helps:
Use a silicone-based or lithium-grease lubricant made specifically for garage doors. not WD-40, which evaporates quickly and can attract debris. Apply it to the spring coils, rollers, hinges, and the inside of the tracks. In Keene's climate, doing this quarterly instead of annually makes a real difference in how long components last.
Disconnect the automatic opener by pulling the red emergency cord. Lift the door manually to about waist height and let go. It should stay roughly in place. If it drops or shoots up, the spring tension is off and needs professional adjustment.
If you're already replacing a broken spring, talk to your technician about upgrading to springs rated for 25,000+ cycles. For a busy household that opens the garage 6,8 times a day, this upgrade pays for itself quickly. especially here in North Texas where the climate already cuts into spring lifespan.
The best time to catch a weakening spring is before the heat hits its peak. A professional tune-up in late winter or early spring lets a technician assess spring tension, check for early metal fatigue, and lubricate all components before the worst conditions arrive. Think of it the same way you'd treat your HVAC system before July.
Many homes in the area. especially the ranch-style properties and established neighborhoods built between the 1970s and 1990s. are still running original or near-original hardware. If you bought an existing home and haven't had the garage door system inspected, there's a reasonable chance the springs are on borrowed time. New construction in developments like Bristol Oaks may have newer hardware, but it's still subject to the same climate stress.
Keene Garage Doors sees this pattern every summer. A homeowner heads out to work, the door closes fine, and by the time they get home in the evening heat, something has snapped. Don't wait for that scenario. get ahead of it. If you're not sure where your system stands, reach out to schedule an inspection before the summer season ramps up.
Q: How long do garage door springs typically last in the Keene area? A: Standard springs are rated for around 10,000 cycles, but North Texas heat accelerates metal fatigue. In Johnson County's climate, expect springs on an active household to last 5,7 years if maintenance is skipped. With regular lubrication and professional inspections, you can push that closer to the rated lifespan.
Q: Can I keep using my garage door if a spring breaks? A: Technically possible, but strongly not recommended. Without the spring counterbalancing the door's weight, the opener is forced to lift the full load. damaging the motor. and the door itself becomes unpredictable and dangerous. Stop use and call a professional.
Q: What's the difference between torsion springs and extension springs? A: Torsion springs mount horizontally above the door opening and wind/unwind to lift the door. Extension springs run along the sides and stretch as the door closes, then contract to assist opening. Most modern residential doors use torsion springs, which tend to be more durable and safer when they fail.