The winter season is upon us. With the cold weather, it’s time to get your garage door ready for its share of snow and ice. Here are some things you can do to prepare your garage door for the worst this winter.
1. Check Your Garage Door’s Springs
Garage door springs are the most important part of your door. They’re what keep the door balanced and controlled as it opens and closes, so they must be able to do their job. When your spring becomes loose or starts to rust, you’ll face all sorts of problems like uneven doors, doors that fail to stay open, or worse yet, doors that fall down.
2. Check All Moving Parts for Rust and Make Sure They Move Smoothly
The weather outside isn’t friendly to your garage door. It can corrode the metal parts of your door over time if you don’t take proper care of it, which can lead to jamming and other problems. You should remove dirt and debris from your door’s mechanism, lubricate the moving parts using a silicone-based lubricant, and tighten any loose bolts to prevent rusting.
3. Check the Tracks and Rollers
As we mentioned, once rust sets in, your door won’t function correctly. For this reason, you should inspect the tracks and rollers of your garage door for dirt and debris that might be causing corrosion. These parts need to move smoothly for your door to work properly. If they don’t, it’s time to replace them.
4. Replace Automatic Openers
If your automatic garage door opener is more than ten years old, chances are it’s due for replacement. These devices experience a lot of wear and tear, so you’ll want to be sure to get one with the latest technology that will ensure safety. If you don’t have an automatic opener on your garage door, make sure that you use your emergency release to disengage the door when it’s in the open position.
5. Prepare for Emergencies
Winter brings its share of emergencies, so you must be prepared just in case one happens when the weather is at its worst. Make sure that you have the contact and location information for a garage door repair company handy just in case you need them right away. It’s also helpful to keep an emergency kit in your car that contains, among other things, hardware and lubricants that you might need if your spring breaks or your door gets stuck open.
The average garage door is opened and shut around 3-5 times each day, which is about 1,500 times annually (per Garage Living). With the garage door being opened and closed this many times, you must take proper care of your door to ensure safe operation. If you notice something wrong with your door, contact a garage door service to resolve your issue properly.
