Did you know a garage door opens up to 500 times a year on average? With something that's used so often, you want to ensure things run smoothly on a daily basis — especially during the winter. Continue reading to learn about the most common winter garage door problems and how to tend to minor issues.
Contracting Metal
When temperatures dip to a certain level, the metal of your door actually contracts. This can lead to parts of your garage door — like the springs, screws, and plenty of other components — seizing up and shrinking.
To keep this from affecting your garage door, you can add extra lubricant. You can't stop the metal from contracting, but adding lubricant to the springs, screw drive, and even the torsion ball bearings can help a lot.
Lubricant Issues
You have to be careful with certain lubricants, though, because some will actually harden on your door. Each year, make sure you're removing any old, hardened grease with a solvent before you reapply.
You can then use a silicone-based oil that's meant to hold up well in the winter.
Door Opener Malfunctioning
In general, cold temperatures can have a negative effect on your door's overall performance. To fix this, you can simply disconnect and reconnect the power source to get things back up and running.
Other times, the cold is simply wreaking too much havoc on the main components of your door's opener, and you might have to call in a professional.
Ice Between Panels
If your garage door has multiple panels, excess moisture can get trapped between and freeze in the weather. Luckily, the fix for this is a simple one.
All you have to do is heat the area between the panels to melt any excess moisture. From there, you should wipe away the moisture away so it doesn't happen again.
If the issue persists, you can always install a new door that wouldn't present the same problems in the future.
Say Goodbye to Garage Door Problems This Winter
hen you know what to watch for, dealing with garage door problems during the cold season isn't nearly as stressful. It's even easier if you know how to fix the issues you might have to face or have a dependable garage door contractor you can trust any time problems arise.
Luckily, Crowfoot & Cross Town Garage Door Services is here to help when you need it. We've been servicing homes in Calgary, Cochrane, Airdrie, and Chestermere since 1996. Contact us today if you need your garage door repair.