How to Weigh a Garage Door

The weight of your garage door is important because it determines the spring sizes. If you have to replace garage door springs, the weight of your door determines the proper spring size. While you can call a garage door repair company to come out, it’s nice to know how to weigh your garage door. Keep reading for instructions and helpful tips on garage door weight and springs.

Step-by-step instructions

We recommend calling a local garage door repair company to perform all work on your garage door. Treat your garage door and opener like your HVAC or electrical system. If something is out of whack or broken, call a trained professional to help.

To weigh a garage door in the field, follow these steps.

1. Disengage the garage door from the opener using the release handle. This transfers the weight of the door from the springs to the person opening the door.
2. Gather a mechanical scale and place it in front of the garage door center.
3. For a one-car garage door, lift from the center of the door and place the scale underneath. You need two or three people to weigh a two-car garage door. Two people to lift on both sides at once, and a third person to slide the scale under the door.
4. Release the door onto the scale and capture the garage door weight.
5. Lift the door and remove the scale.
6. Reattach the garage door to the opener.

How much do garage doors weigh?

The weight of your garage door depends on a few factors. Size, material, and options like glass and insulation all affect the weight.

An 8′ x 7′ non-insulated or single-layer steel garage door from Amarr can weigh as little as 83 lbs. An Amarr triple-layer, insulated garage door with steel backing in the same size can weigh up to 143 lbs.  Wood garage doors will weigh more.

The following chart provides the weight for Amarr steel garage doors.

8′ x 7′ Amarr garage door weight

16′ x 7′ Amarr garage door weight

Do I have to weigh my garage door to get the right size spring?

It depends. If your garage door springs break within a year or two of installation, you want to weigh the door. The original spring size may not have matched your garage door’s weight, causing it to break.

We don’t weigh your garage door if the springs have worked for 3 – 5+ years because the springs are a proper size. If that’s the case, we’ll measure the existing spring and check our inventory. There is more than one torsion spring size suggestion for any garage door. So, if your current size is out of stock, we likely have a comparable replacement.

Does garage door weight matter?

Garage door weight and spring strength go hand-in-hand. If we install a 20′ x 9′ tall wood garage door, we will need 3 to 4 torsion springs to operate the door. Luckily, steel is strong stuff, and even with 3 to 4 springs, the lifecycles are the same. The garage door’s weight only impacts the torsion springs’ quantity and size.

In closing

Garage door weight determines the spring strength required to operate your garage door. Besides that, it’s not something to spend a lot of time on when buying a new door or replacing springs. If you have a garage door, torsion spring, or other questions, call us at 817-500-5988. We like talking about all things garage doors.