Garage Door Winter Maintenance
Freezing temperatures are coming, and their goal is to destroy your garage door. Well, no, not really, but sometimes it sure can feel like that is winter’s intention when it finally arrives.
The winter months are hard on everyone and everything (depending on where you live). When the temperature starts dropping, you don’t want that garage door engine to be stopping! If it does, it could be the beginning of a whole host of issues, none of which anyone wants to deal with, even in great weather.
Below Overhead Door Company of Abilene™ has included a few points to go over before the first significant snows start appearing. We’ve also included some tips on what to do, should something break down on you at the worst possible time.
Check Your Weatherstrip
The weatherstrip is a rubber lining that seals the border of your garage door. It is designed to keep the elements out, so things like water cannot get into your garage to cause further damage. All garage door owners should ensure their weatherstripping is free of gaps, significant warping, rips, or frays. If these things exist on the stripping, it cannot properly insulate against the elements, which is the whole point of weather stripping!
Speaking of gaps, did you know that dirt and dust can stop your weatherstripping from sealing off your garage? These tiny bits of debris can let in enough cold air to make the stripping ineffective. Owners must make sure that this part of the door is wiped clean, as well as kept intact.
It doesn’t take a technician from Overhead Door Company of Abilene™ to diagnose this problem. All you have to do is give your garage door a quick inspection. If you notice any of the issues we talked about above, contact us!
Cold Weather Damages Moving Parts
One of the big problems we see in winter garage door maintenance is damage caused by a lack of lubrication.
Moving parts like the torsion spring, rollers, and hinges are all steel and subject to rusting. Even the tracks that the rollers move over can crack and warp from fluctuating temperatures and moisture levels.
Simple lubrication at the beginning of every winter season can help you avoid these problems.
Snow = Bad
When winter storms arrive and the snow starts falling, keeping the stuff away from your garage door is essential. Snow doesn’t seem like a heavy thing, but when you let it build on itself for days at a time, it eventually becomes heavy, even icy.
If you don’t clear heavy snow from the front of your garage door before trying to open it, the weight can strain the motor and torsion spring. As the door fights to open against the snow, it will cause shifting, leading to things like the track warping and getting thrown out of alignment.
“But what if I just let the snow rest against my door and wait for it to melt in hot weather?” you might ask. That is also a big no-no in proper winter garage door maintenance best practices, as that will lead to large amounts of moisture, which will, in turn, lead to rust, water damage, and mold.
Taking a cloth or shammy and removing the water from the area is enough to get the job done! Having said that, you should remove snow before this happens in the first place.
Call Us for an Inspection!
You can do all of these things yourself. . . Or, book an appointment with Overhead Door Company of Abilene™, and we will take care of the rest. Alright, we aren’t going to clear the snow from your driveway, but we will do everything in our power to give you the best garage door maintenance service we have to offer. We also do garage door installation if one of the winter issues we talked about got you in the market for a new one!
Our scheduling fills up fast due to residential garage door installations, so call us or fill out our online form! Our technicians will help outline the services you need to avoid damage.
