It is one of the most frequently asked questions by many people who are in the market for a garage door. The commonsense approach to answering this question is that “yes” two springs or a dual spring door will certainly be better than one.

However, like everything else in life, engineering is a lot more complex than it initially appears. There is a lot more to it than just springs.

If you are in the process of buying a new Garage Door or getting the springs replaced, there are a couple of things you’ll want to consider when choosing one spring over two or vice versa. We’ll examine what you need to know before deciding either way.

How Much Does Your Garage Door Weigh?

When it comes to deciding if it is worth spending extra money on two springs, you need to first consider the weight of the door. The heavier your door is, the more it will benefit from having two springs. The two springs will evenly balance out the weight between them, which means that they will last longer.

If you have a single-car door that is either made from lightweight material or aluminum that measures 8×8 or 8×7, then it will probably function fine with a single spring. On the other hand, if you have a larger, heavier door, then more springs will distribute the load amongst them evenly.

Heavy wooden garage doors will often require 2 to 4 springs to allow for the mechanism to lift the door off the ground evenly. Plus, multiple springs means that the Garage Door Springs will last for longer, which means less frequent replacements.

Don’t Save Money with a Single Spring

While everyone wants to save money, including home builders who will install a garage door with a single spring, but in the long-term, it does not work out. It isn’t the best option for any garage door system except for a few lightweight ones perhaps.

A single spring system can provide good enough counterbalance for the garage door but will Need More Maintenance. However, when the garage door is fully opened that one, i.e. single spring is trying very hard to compress, which then puts pressure on other components like the center bearing that wear out sooner.

The continued stress has been shown to cause premature failure of the center bearing as well as the bracket.

If anything, these are not cheap repairs. So, what you might perceive as a saving by using a single spring, turns out be pretty expensive in the long-term and certainly not worth it.

Why Do Professionals recommend Two Springs at Least?

When you have two springs holding up a garage door, they even out the pressure since both springs are compressing on each other when the garage door is fully opened. When springs are putting pressure on each other, that leaves the other components relatively stress free, and hence they last longer as a result.

The added benefit of a Two Spring System is that if one breaks or falls off, for instance, you still have the other spring working. You still have enough lifting strength, which means that the garage door can open and close enough to get your vehicle out. Though we recommend, you get the spring changed ASAP.

We do not recommend that anyone use their garage door when a spring is broken except for in emergencies. Also, you will want to exercise extreme caution when closing and opening the garage door.

Plus, since everything is hinging on that one good spring, the chances of it breaking increase exponentially. So, it isn’t safe.

Make the Right Decision As a Homeowner

When you hire a professional, you will often get the choice of a two spring or a single spring garage door opener. The option and the temptation to save a few dollars, with a single spring system is there especially if you are about to sell the home quickly.

However, when it comes to longevity, you can’t beat the two or multiple spring garage door.

Garage doors that are perfectly balanced are easier to manually operate as well in the event of a power outage. Not to mention you save money on extensive repairs and component damage in the long term.

So, as a homeowner, it is your job to make the right decision based on your budget, needs and other circumstances but always ensures that the garage door is safe to use at all times.