Among the four seasons, winter puts the garage door in the most challenging situation.
There are harsh elements during the winter that present inconvenience and frustrations.
The cold weather makes the garage doors vulnerable, making its parts steady, stuck, and malfunctioning.
To prepare for winter and maintain the garage door’s condition during the cold season, here are some tips.
Be observant
The first tip is straightforward—look and listen.
By being observant, further repairs and the worsening of the issue will be avoided.
This method is doable, whether it is currently being used or in a standby mode.
Observe the door’s movement; listen to its operation, and determine if there are any unusual noises or struggles during the lifting process.
If there are any, contact a garage door repair company immediately to fix the problem before it goes out of hand.
Tighten the hardware
Although the garage is not usually used compared to the other seasons, it is best to check the hardware and tighten the parts as needed.
Loose garage door parts exhibit grave danger that must be avoided if possible.
Inspect the weatherstripping
The weatherstrips during the winter are vulnerable.
There are high possibilities that these strips would get frozen.
When this happens, the door will be difficult to lift.
Thus, wipe and dry the weatherstripping and look for cracks.
It is best to ask professional help if there are any cracks observed.
Clean the components
Cleaning the components is a basic way to maintain equipment, which includes the garage door.
During the winter, the first will become trapped in frozen moisture.
Thus, remove the dirt stuck on the hardware as frequently as possible, most especially the tracks and rollers where the dirt is not commonly seen.
Lubricate the parts
As mentioned, the parts get stuck and steady due to the cold weather.
Homeowners need to lubricate the parts as much as required to keep it functioning.
With lubrication, the moving components will continue to operate.
On the side note, ensure to wipe any excess oil to avoid complications.
Inspect the rollers
Rollers demand inspections at least twice a year and usually a replacement after seven years.
Examine the door’s rollers to notice any cracking or chipping tendencies.
If these signs occur, unfortunately, it would be necessary to replace it.
Although not suggested, it is possible to conduct a DIY roller replacement.
Homeowners only need to remove the brackets and reinstall new ones.
Check the cables
Broken cables pose a tremendous amount of danger.
It may look easy to replace them, but it is not.
Let professionals do the job in solving the issues concerning the cables to avoid harmful tendencies.
To know when to contact a technician, check the strands near the bottom bracket of the roller.
Check the external keypad
The external keypad is not an exception to havoc during winter.
In fact, it is the most sensitive that results in draining the battery quicker than the default.
Check the external keypad and replace the batteries to keep it from running.
Test the door’s balance
Due to the freezing weather, some parts might be affected while others remain on track.
When this happens, the garage door’s balance will be affected.
This issue will further lead to the destruction of other components such as the opener because it would be required to work harder to support the unbalanced door.
Get a professional to fix the door’s misalignment since this is not recommended for DIY projects.
Organize the garage
Lastly and probably the most apparent is to organize the garage.
It is best to do this after a heavy snowfall to examine any components that have been covered with buildup ice or snow.
Prepare the necessary equipment in snow removals like a shovel, snow blower, and ice melt.
Keep these from areas prone to winter impacts.
Garage Door Repair in Calgary
Winter is the season to be alarmed and ready.
Prepare the condition of the garage and overhead doors before winter and maintain it all the way.
For assistance, there are garage and overhead door repair services in Calgary.
Other services include replacements, installation, insulations, weatherstripping, and many more.
