Should I adjust my garage door springs myself in cold New Brunswick weather?

No. Adjusting, winding or releasing garage door springs is a job for a trained garage door technician, in any season. The springs hold the weight of the door under high tension, and the work needs the right tools and training. This answer does not give adjustment steps for that reason.

What you can safely do

• Look, don't touch. From a step back, check whether a spring looks broken or has a visible gap in its coils, and whether a lift cable looks frayed or slack.
• Stop using the door if something looks wrong. A door with a broken spring or cable can be very heavy and may not stay where you leave it. Don't keep running the opener against it.
• Leave the emergency release alone while the door is open. If a spring is broken, releasing the opener with the door up can let the door come down suddenly. If you are stuck, call a technician first.
• Keep people and cars clear of the door until it has been looked at.

Tell the technician what you noticed: the door feels much heavier than usual, it won't stay open, it closes faster than normal, it hangs crooked, you heard a loud bang from the garage, or a spring or cable looks broken. Cold mornings are a common time to notice a problem, so say whether it started with the cold.

What to ask for in the quote

Ask whether the price covers one spring or both, whether cables or rollers are being replaced too, and whether the door will be balanced and tested afterwards. Get the price and any warranty terms in writing before the work starts.

Ask the technician to put in writing exactly which parts were replaced and what the warranty covers.