Can I manually lift my garage door if the spring is broken?

It is highly discouraged and extremely dangerous to attempt to manually lift a garage door if the torsion or extension spring is broken. The springs are the crucial components that counterbalance the massive weight of the door, which can easily weigh between 150 and 400 pounds depending on the material and insulation used. When a spring breaks, the door essentially becomes dead weight. Attempting to lift it manually can cause severe bodily injury, including devastating muscle strains, herniated discs, or worse, if the heavy door slips from your grasp and falls back down. Furthermore, pulling the emergency release cord while the door is in the up position with a broken spring can cause the door to violently crash to the floor, destroying the door panels, damaging the tracks, and potentially crushing anything—or anyone—underneath it. If you suspect a broken spring, leave the door completely alone, do not attempt to force it open, and immediately contact a trained professional for emergency service.