As winter arrives, it brings a whole new set of maintenance challenges to homeowners. If managed incorrectly, ice, snow, and frigid temperatures can cause substantial damage to your home, and specifically your garage door system. If you’ve noticed that your garage door opens slowly in cold weather or is malfunctioning in other ways, this is typically a good indicator that some winter maintenance is needed.
How Does Cold Weather Affect Your Garage Door Opener?
Winter temperatures have a massive effect on the efficiency of a garage door opener. Since the vast majority of homes don’t have climate-controlled garages, your garage door is exposed to the same frigid temperatures that exist outside of your home.
Most systems are built primarily with many moving steel and aluminum parts, and as temperatures drop, these metal components can contract and shrink ever so slightly. Since garage door openers are sophisticated, purpose-built machines, even the smallest size contraction can significantly impact performance.
Low temperatures can have a similar effect on the grease or lube applied to all moving parts on a garage door opener. The thickening of these lubricating agents can increase friction, resulting in slower opening and closing speeds and loss of energy efficiency.
The most significant issues arise when temperatures drop to the point where water can freeze. All garage doors are equipped with a rubber weather seal that creates a barrier between the door and the ground, thus preventing moisture and debris from entering your garage. In many cases, during the day, the sun will melt snow and ice, creating a puddle of water at your garage door’s weather seal. As night falls, this water can refreeze, causing your door to freeze to the ground damaging the weather seal or preventing it from opening altogether.
How to Protect Your Garage Door During Winter
Weather-related garage door problems can be very frustrating. However, there are a few easy maintenance steps that you can take to ensure that your garage door opens and closes with ease during the winter season.
- Keep moving parts well lubricated – When choosing a lubricant, opt for a long-lasting silicone spray such as 3-IN-ONE® Garage Door Lube for optimum movement.
- Use your garage door regularly – Opening and closing your garage at least once per day can help prevent components from seizing up.
- Keep your driveway dry – Make sure your driveway is clear of any snow or ice, followed by an inspection of your gutters and down-spouts to ensure that all water gets directed away from your garage door.
- Schedule a professional inspection and tune-up – A professional service can give you peace of mind knowing that they will identify all potential garage door problems.
Garage Door Maintenance Pros in the Greater Puget Sound
If you’ve been experiencing issues with your garage door opener or you’re looking for garage door installation in cold weather, please contact us today! Our team of garage door pros can help you pinpoint and resolve any issues that may be impeding peak winter performance.