As winter approaches, it’s important to take the necessary steps to prepare your garage door for cold temperatures and potential snow and ice storms. A garage door that is not properly maintained can stick in the cold weather, making it difficult to open and close. This can be a major inconvenience, especially if you need to access your garage frequently. In this blog post, we will share tips to help you winterize your garage door and avoid it sticking in cold weather.
Why Does a Garage Door Stick in Cold Weather?
When temperatures start to drop, the metal tracks and rollers on your garage door can become cold and brittle. This can cause the metal parts to become stuck together, making it difficult to open and close the garage door. Additionally, cold temperatures can cause the rubber seals around the door to become brittle, resulting in an airtight seal that makes it difficult to open the door.
Another issue that can cause a garage door to stick in cold weather is a lack of lubrication. In cold temperatures, the metal parts of the garage door can become dry and brittle, making them more likely to stick. Without proper lubrication, the parts of the garage door can freeze together, making it difficult to open and close the door.
Finally, the springs on your garage door can become tighter in cold weather, leading to a door that is difficult to open. This is because the cold weather causes the metal to contract, resulting in a tighter fit on the springs.
Check the Garage Door Temperature in Winter
To help prevent your garage door from sticking in cold weather, it’s important to check the temperature of your garage door before winter arrives. To do this, you can use an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of the garage door. If the temperature is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, then your garage door could be at risk of sticking in cold weather.
Caulking and Sealing Around the Garage Door
To help prevent the cold air from entering your garage, it’s important to inspect the caulking and sealing around the garage door. If there are any gaps or cracks in the caulking or seal, then it’s important to repair them before winter arrives. This will help ensure that cold air doesn’t enter the garage, which can cause the garage door to have more issues in cold weather.
Lubricating the Tracks and Rollers
It’s important to lubricate the tracks and rollers on your garage door to help prevent them from sticking in cold weather. The best way to do this is to use a silicone-based lubricant, as this will help to reduce friction and keep the parts of the garage door from sticking together.
Additionally, it’s important to inspect the tracks and rollers for any signs of wear or damage. If there are any signs of wear or damage, then it’s important to replace the parts before winter arrives.
Adjusting the Garage Door Springs
The springs on your garage door can become tighter in cold weather, leading the door difficult to open. To prevent this from happening, it’s important to adjust the tension on the springs before winter arrives. This will help to ensure that the springs are not too tight, which can make it difficult to open the door in cold weather. We recommend you read this blog post it will explain in detail How to adjust your garage door springs
Be careful Adjusting garage door springs requires a professional technician because springs are under high tension and releasing this tension could harm you. This step is just an informational point and Should not be done on your own. Choose AAA Garage door inc to help you adjust your garage door springs and rest at ease with our expert technicians. AAA Garage door Are A Full-Service Garage Doors & Openers Shop Serving Miami-Dade & Broward Counties for more than 12 Years.
Insulating the Garage Door
Insulating your garage door is an important step in preventing it from sticking in cold weather. Insulating the garage door will help to keep the temperature inside the garage stable, which can help to prevent the metal parts from becoming cold and brittle. Additionally, one of the biggest garage door insulation benefits is that will help to reduce the amount of cold air that enters the garage and indeed lower your electricity bills.
Cleaning and Inspecting the Weather Stripping
It’s also important to inspect the weather stripping on your garage door to make sure it is in good condition. If the weather stripping is cracked or torn, then it’s important to replace it before winter arrives. In addition, it’s important to clean the weather stripping on a regular basis to ensure that it is free of dirt and debris, which can make it more likely to stick in cold weather.
Replacing the Bottom Seal
The bottom seal on your garage door is an important part of keeping the cold air out. If the bottom seal is cracked or damaged, then it’s important to replace it before winter arrives. Additionally, it’s important to inspect the bottom seal on a regular basis to make sure it is in good condition.
Maintenance Is the Key
We always advise our customers to keep their maintenance annual schedule on time because maintenance of your garage door system is the only way to prevent any upcoming problems with your garage door or opener and prepare for weather conditions like Storms, hurricanes, or extreme cold. Some Maintenance steps are required by professional technicians for example Door Alignment, and Springs Condition but in general garage door manufacturers like Clopay Is giving their own maintenance & Care Manual to let you get familiar with the required steps you should take when performing maintenance for your garage door. Ask About Our Garage Door Maintenance Plans, While it might seem like a small issue now, little problems with your Garage opener Gear Sprocket or Opener Capacitor can cause damage to other components of your garage door unit and can lead to a breakdown later. Our Garage Door maintenance members receive regular tune–up services helping to avoid issues down the line.
Conclusion
Preparing your garage door for winter is an important step in preventing it from sticking in cold weather. By following these 10 tips, you can ensure that your garage door is properly maintained and ready for the cold winter months ahead. AAA Garage doors inc Company values your experience. They are client-oriented and care about your satisfaction. Whether you need a full installation, replacement, emergency repair or preventative maintenance. AAA Garage doors Company can help.
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