The effects of winter weather can be harsh on your home, and the integrity of your garage door is not exempt. If you live in an area where winter brings cold temperatures, ice, and snow to your garage door can cause it to malfunction by not opening or closing properly. Winter garage door maintenance is essential not just for convenience, but also to keep your home easy of drafty cold and expensive repairs.
Here at Affordable Garage Door Repair, we understand what it takes to ensure your garage door is ready for those cold winter days. But fear not; armed with a few simple steps, you can prepare your garage door for the winter months so that it doesn’t give out on you and leave you exposed to Old Man Winter during this chilly season.
How Winter Impacts Your Garage Door
Your garage door is subject to the weather, but winter can present some special problems. This is a way that cold weather affects your door intersections.
- Also, frozen rollers and tracks can block movement.
- Rubber seals harden: The cold makes rubber seals less flexible, and they can crack or be unable to touch surfaces.
- Constricted metal parts: Cold temperature will cause metal parts, such as springs and tracks, to constrict—causing misalignment or failure of the tension.
- Lubricant thickening advice: The cold can make the lubricants thicken, which will hinder your door from functioning properly as it should.
Garage Door Winter Preparation Tips
These are the steps that you can follow to save your garage door from sharp cold attacks this winter.
1. Check and Change Weatherstripping
Weatherstripping: Sealing the edges stops cold air and superficial ice from getting into your garage. Weatherstripping damaged or worn can be costly on energy and produce drafts.
How to Prepare:
- Look for signs of cracking or general wear in the weatherstripping that encircles its bottom and edges.
- In case of any broken section, you should replace it to keep the seal tight.
- Because of the cold, use weatherstripping material intended for low-temp flexibility.
Lubricate Moving Parts
Garage door lubrication is crucial to operating your garage, especially during colder weather when it can cause the parts of a system to stick.
How to Prepare:
- Prevents freezing; helps to reduce friction using an oil-based lubricant, especially during the colder season on hinges, rollers, and tracks.
- Things such as grease or oil-based products are bad to use also because they turn into gunk in the cold.
- For optimal performance, clean all the old lubricant from the surface before recoating.
Secure Hardware and Inspect Tracks
If the bolts, nuts, or brackets are loose or worn out they may cause your door to rattle and vibrate — especially during winter when metal contracts.
How to Prepare:
- Tighten loose bolts and screws with the appropriate wrench or socket set.
- Examine the track for bends, alignments, or debris that could hinder it from moving.
- Clean the tracks to remove dirt & debris that may freeze and generate problems.
Test the Garage Door Balance
Meanwhile, an unbalanced garage door can keep straining the opener and components all winter long to a point where something finally breaks down.
How to Prepare:
- Unplug your opener and lift the door by hand to halfway open. It is balanced if it stays up.
- If the door is slightly too high or low, falls or rises, please contact a professional to safely rebalance the door.
Check the Safety Sensors
Safety sensors — Obstructed safety sensors can make your garage door reverse or not close due to snow, ice & dirt.
How to Prepare:
- Use a soft cloth to wipe the sensor lenses clean (to remove dirt and debris).
- Make sure the lights are all on solid to ensure the sensors are aligned.
- Place an object in the door's path (e.g., a piece of wood) and test that it reverses as intended to confirm the sensors work correctly.
Insulated Garage Door Installation
If you have an attached garage, insulating your garage door can help to keep the temperature in check.
How to Prepare:
- Invest in an insulated garage door with a superior R-value for ultimate thermal resistance.
- If you cannot replace the door, consider an insulation kit for your garage door to add thermal protection.
- Inspect the weatherstripping at the bottom of your door and replace it if you see any gaps.
Check the Opener’s Settings
- The garage door may move more slowly due to the cold weather. If the force or limit settings are not adjusted, you may open your garage door manually.
How to Prepare:
- Winter operation: Consult the manual for your opener in adjusting force and travel limit settings
- If your garage door opener is a bit quieter than before, then check the springs and rollers to ensure there's no wear or ice causing friction.
- You might also have to replace your opener with something more appropriate for a smart garage door that is remote controlled which can be extra convenient if it ends up freezing outside.
How to Prepare for a Frozen Garage Door
- Icy Buildup In subzero temperatures of some northern climes like Colorado Springs, your garage door can even freeze shut from an icy buildup. How to Defrost a Stuck Garage Door in Spring
- Not Force the Door Open: Trying to do so may cause damage to various opener parts, as well as springs and panels.
- Melt the Ice: The seals on your fridge could solidify over with ice, Get a hairdryer or heat gun set it low, and gently melt around the bottom seal.
- Use Warm Water: Slowly pour warm (not hot) water along the bottom of the door to loosen up and dissolve the ice seal. Dry the surface to avoid freezing again.
- Bottom Seal Lubrication: Once the door has been freed, make sure to lubricate the Garage Door bottom seal so that it does not get stuck again.
When to Call a Professional
- I am not a professional or anything but they provide some good tips for things you can do yourself in preparation for winter and the various unique versions there are of it—such as proper tires, hardened wipers, etc. We need to call a professional technician only when we hear an abnormal sound or feel difficulty in doors opening, and troubles with springs and sensors.
- Affordable Garage Door Repair provides winter maintenance to ensure the garage door is in proper shape. Whether it is inspecting and lubricating parts, or adjusting the opener settings — our professionals make sure your door is HOT!!
Conclusion
Garage doors can be punished harshly during the winter, but with some sort of advanced preparation, you may avoid all those nasty issues and expensive repairs. This is how you check weatherstripping, lubricate parts, and roll balance to work wonderfully all season while keeping your garage warm.
The ideal garage door specialist, Affordable Garage Door Repair, can help you get the winter-proofing job done right! We are your garage door maintenance and repair team to help you have a worry-free winter with an
operational garage door.