How Garage Doors Work Archives - Page 2 of 5 - DDM Garage Doors Blog

Commercial Door Operator Safety Systems

Friday, August 21st, 2020 at 5:53 pm by Dan Musick

Commercial door operator manufacturers have designed three standard safety systems: the clutch, the photo eyes, and the rpm sensor. These keep the door from injuring people or damaging objects that might be obstructing the door.


First is the mechanical clutch that slips when something obstructs the door.…

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Half-Baked Torsion Springs

Monday, March 2nd, 2020 at 12:02 pm by Dan Musick
Complications stemming from half-baked Torsion Springs

This week one of our wholesale customers called me about stripped operator drive sprockets. This issue usually comes from overstress. However, in this case, it could possibly be due to half-baked torsion springs. I recommend the service tech disconnect the drive chain and check the door balance as per the instructions we have on our “Balanced Garage Door” blog.…

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About Garage Door Cables

Friday, January 11th, 2019 at 6:02 pm by Dan Musick

Garage door cables are an essential part of any garage door assembly. The cables wrap around cable drums, which fasten to the shaft with set screws. When the shaft turns, the cables lift the door open. In this blog post, we will provide the basics of how garage door cables work, as well as how to assemble usable cables from lengths of raw cable, and troubleshooting procedures for when cables go wrong.…

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Garage Door Lubricants and Why WD-40 Just Won’t Cut it

Friday, November 30th, 2018 at 5:29 pm by Dan Musick

WD-40 is seen as the fix-it miracle on the opposite end of the spectrum from duct tape. Need to stop a squeak? Squirt some WD-40 in there. Having a hard time with gum in your hair? Spray it with WD-40! Need to soften leather, unstick some LEGOs, clean crayon marks, prevent corrosion on guitar strings?…

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Gapped Torsion Springs: In the Gap?

Friday, October 26th, 2018 at 4:24 pm by Dan Musick

In the garage door industry gapping refers to engineered spaces between coils on a torsion spring. Gapped springs function differently than ungapped springs, and using one in place of the other can cause unneeded expense and time to rectify.

A one-dollar bill placed in between the gaps of an EZ-SET Torsion Spring.
A gapped EZ-SET torsion spring with a dollar bill in the gap

Clopay EZ-SET torsion springs have specially designed gaps that are exclusive to Clopay Door EZ-SET systems.…

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Torsion Spring Inside Diameter

Friday, August 31st, 2018 at 1:53 pm by Dan Musick
An image displaying the inside diameter of a 2 inch and 2 5/8 inch torsion springs.

There are a number of applications where the technician or homeowner needs to change the inside diameter of their springs. Our Torsion Spring Inside Diameter Converter page should help you decide if changing the inside diameter would benefit you.

One of the many reasons for changing the inside diameter is that older springs often have obsolete hardware or cones.…

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Dock Leveler Snubber Assemblies

Friday, August 17th, 2018 at 5:46 pm by Dan Musick

The purpose of a dock leveler snubber assembly is to raise the lip and suspend it long enough so that the lip can be lowered onto the back of a trailer. In this description, you’ll be viewing a Serco dock leveler.

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Pitch of the Torsion Spring

Friday, July 13th, 2018 at 5:29 pm by Dan Musick
A view of two torsion springs side-by-side showing the different pitch of the spring.

Clients frequently ask us, “Why is one of my garage door springs slinky and the other tight?” Or, “Why is one spring stiff and the other loose?” The answer lies in the pitch of the torsion spring wire.

When a spring coils, the wire normally winds at a 90-degree angle from the spool or rod it is wound around.…

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Hormann Garage Doors

Friday, November 10th, 2017 at 5:11 pm by Dan Musick

Hormann is a German garage door manufacturer that has set up a manufacturing plant here in the United States. The purpose of this entry is to show many of the unique features of the door parts.

The bottom fixtures incorporate spring-loaded arms to prevent the cables from coming off the drums if the cable tension loosens.…

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Garage Door Sections

Friday, September 29th, 2017 at 4:49 pm by Dan Musick

Most garage doors consist of sections that connect with hinges. The end hinges and fixtures have rollers to allow the door to roll up into the tracks.

History of Garage Door Section Construction

Wood was the primary source of door construction in the early decades.…

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Since 1997 the Gold Standard for Online Garage Door Parts

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Huge inventory of torsion springs for same or next day shipping! Here you will find all you need in the most common sizes of 1 3/4," 2," 2 1/4," and 2 5/8" inside diameter springs. Larger 3 3/4" and 6" inside diameter commercial and industrial springs may require a day or two to ship. You'll also find TorqueMaster Springs, Extension Springs, Self-Storage door springs, steel rolling door springs and springs for one piece single panel doors.

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