Cold winter weather can cause many headaches for homeowners, and garage doors are no different. Regardless of the make and model and how old the garage door is, they all are susceptible to these issues. Fortunately, identifying these issues before they get worse can save you inconveniences, money, and keep your family safe from the cold elements outside.
1. Shrinking Metal
Garage door opener systems are made of hundreds of metal parts. Regardless of the type of metal and where it’s located, metal components tend to contract and shrink in the winter. This is especially true if your garage door isn’t properly insulated.
All metal parts can shrink – the tracks, chains, cables, springs, and so on. This shrinkage can cause the entire door to be off-base, and its moving parts to function improperly. This can be dangerous, as doors may come crashing down and cause damages. Cold temperatures can also cause exposed springs to become brittle and shatter or break off. The best way to avoid shrinking metal in winter is to properly insulate your garage door.
2. Damaged Weather Strips
In areas that get a significant amount of snow, this snow can melt and then refreeze, eventually collecting at the bottom of the door. The bottom of the garage door is where your weather strips are located, the rubber material that prevents cold air from entering the bottom cracks of your door. As a garage door with frozen surrounding weather strips is opened, part of or all of the weatherstripping can be peeled off. As is the case with shrinking metal, any part of your weatherstrip that is missing or damaged can compromise the integrity of it. In the case of weatherstripping, this damages the seal and lets cold air inside your garage.
3. Slowly Opening Garage Doors
Freezing temperatures impact all of the metal components of your garage door. As the cold impacts rollers, springs, and tracks, doors tend to open more slowly than normal. Making matters worse is the fact that too much lubrication can freeze, causing your door to move slower or maybe not at all. This can happen with too much lubrication or not enough.
If you notice your door opening slowly during the winter, first check your garage door track to make sure it’s on the track. If you are unable to spot any issues with the track, then the issue is likely with your torsion spring or the motor of your garage door.
Contact the Specialists
If you are unsure about the cause of your garage door issue, or you suspect your springs are the issue, it’s time to contact the specialists. Even in the winter months, the expert technicians here at Garage Door in My Area are dedicated to responding as quickly as possible to all emergency calls we get. We will address your emergency within 24 hours or less. If you find yourself in this predicament needing garage repair in the winter, don’t hesitate to contact Garage Door in My Area today.