Cold, snowy, wet, wintry weather can wreak havoc on garage doors. There are a number of garage door problems that occur more frequently in the winter season. They are:
- Garage doors freeze to the ground – rain water, snow, and ice can accumulate around the weather stripping and cause the door to freeze to the ground. The motor can be damaged when it tries to open the door or the weather stripping can be ripped or torn. Monitor the area to keep it clear. A simple and effective preventative measure is to spray the weather stripping with silicone.
- Broken spring – Springs are crucial to the function of garage doors as they balance a door’s weight to make it easy to open and close. Springs break more often in winter months because the cold weather can affect older springs and cause them to break as temperatures dip lower and lower. Most springs are built to last for 7-10 years, depending on usage. To test whether the spring is working as it should, pull the door up halfway. If it stays in place, the springs are functioning properly, but if it drops any, that is a warning sign.
- Grease hardens – A sure sign that the lubricants that help operate the door are impacted by cold weather is a slowing of the up and down functions of your garage door. Using a solvent, wipe away old grease from the tracks and use silicone oil.
- Contracting metal – metal has a tendency to shrink or contract in prolonged cold weather. This causes warping and may lead to the door seizing and malfunctioning. There’s no way to keep the metal from contracting, but an application of lubricant to the metal parts will reduce the severity.
Before winter arrives, look over the garage door to check for any potential problems. If you prefer, someone on our team can perform a preventative maintenance exam and tune up your door for cold weather.
For all of your garage door needs, call us at HABPRO Garage Doors.
Jeanie S.