Tips for Dealing with Common Garage Door Problems in Winter

Winter is right about here, and your garage door is starting to act up. If you do not deal with this problem before the harsh winter weather fully sets in, you’ll have to endure snowy and chilly winds for the duration of the season. It would help if you didn’t take your garage door for granted. 

Your garage door does more than provide shelter for your vehicles and whatever else is inside your garage. It also protects you and your home, especially from unwanted elements and dangers such as burglars, flooding, and the winter weather. So, you shouldn’t wait for something to happen before you give your garage door the best care and maintenance. Call the garage door repair and installation provider that’s nearest you. You’ll want a reputable company that has experience with garage doors of all types so you can be sure they’ll be able to address your issue, so make sure to do your research! Companies like J.Mac Garage Doors Ltd. have a website, so take a look at the services they provide, along with the cost, and choose a company that works for you. 

What if the garage door specialist is not available? What if your garage door gives up in the middle of the night? Situations like these are why you need to learn how to take care of your garage door properly, even without a professional’s help. 

How to Keep Your Garage Door Well-Maintained 

Here are some simple tips you can use to maintain and care for your garage door properly. 

Be attentive 

Don’t take your garage door for granted. Just because you don’t use it every day does not mean it’s working perfectly well. Pay attention to its sound every time you open and close it. Does it make a squeaking, grinding, or scraping sound? What about its movement? If it jerks even just a little bit, you’ve got a problem. 

Take note of the door’s pulleys, springs, and cables. Is there anything unusual about the way they look or how they are positioned? If your garage door does not open smoothly, there is something wrong with it. You might want to consult with a garage door repair specialist to find out what the problem is and what can be done to correct it. 

Clean your garage door regularly

Regardless of what material your garage door is made of, it is vital to keep it clean. Deep-cleaning is ideal so any blemish is removed. For steel doors, the most common marks are rust spots. Garage doors made of wood are susceptible to chipping or peeling paint and blemishes caused by water damage. 

Clean your garage door using an all-purpose cleaner. Go for the mild ones or those that have non-chemical ingredients. After cleaning, peel off the old paint of your wooden door and repaint it. If you have a steel door, sand the rust spots before applying primer and painting over them. 

Also, don’t forget to clean the rollers and the track; otherwise, they will be covered by grime and dirt. 

Check for broken parts 

Check out all the parts and pieces of your garage door. If there are parts that need repair, take note of them, and inform your garage door repair specialist immediately. You can also try fixing the problem yourself, but only if you have the right tools, and you know exactly what to do.    

You should also check if the mechanical parts are functioning 100%. If your garage door does not open or close anymore, there are two things you can do. First, check the door’s remote and ensure that the battery is working. If the remote is the problem, simply replace the battery with a new one. 

Second, check your springs, tracks, or motor. If any of these parts are broken or not functioning well, it explains why your garage door isn’t opening or closing properly. You’ll need the help of a professional garage door specialist to solve this problem.

Also, you have to ensure that your door’s auto-reverse is fully functional. If there is even just a slight hint that it’s not working normally, you need to check the sensors. To do the test, put an object (preferably a piece of brick or wood) under the door’s path. Close the garage door and observe. Once the door touches the item, it should automatically reverse and go back up immediately. If it does not do so, the sensor needs to be fixed or replaced. Garage doors with broken sensors present significant risks. 

Check your weather seal or strip 

The weather seal is a strip found at the bottom of the garage door. It serves as a protection against dangers caused by snowy or wet grounds, particularly in the winter season. Weather seals are also responsible for providing proper insulation. Regularly checking on the seal will guarantee that it is in good condition. You’ll know that it needs to be replaced when you find cracks and once it becomes brittle. 

Leaving the weather seal unattended will create gaps on your garage door, so water leaks, snow, ice, and air drafts can easily slide into your garage. The gaps are the result of the weather strips losing their sealing capacity. 

Weather seal problems are easy to fix because you can buy good quality stripping in garage specialty stores. Also, there are tons of DIY videos and How-To articles online.

Lubricate! 

All the metal parts on your garage door that moves should be regularly lubricated, especially as the cold, chilly, and snowy winter months are nearing. The wintry weather will make them sticky and jerky, and this can affect your garage door’s balance and smooth operation. 

Apply a garage door lubricant on all the identified parts. Use just enough and remove any excess oil. Be sure to choose petroleum and silicone-free lubricants.

Make sure all bolts are tight   

Your garage door works hard the whole year-round, so it’s only natural that it develops wear and tear after some time. Its bolts and brackets also become loose. To make sure that they don’t fall off, use a socket wrench and tighten the said parts every now and then.                                          

Following these essential tips and working closely with a specialist guarantees your garage door’s safety and longevity.