The Most Common Garage Door Issues in Cold Weather

Did you know that the weather can have an impact on your garage door’s performance? This is true for both the warmer and colder seasons, though the latter can be a bit more frustrating. After all, you want to keep your property warm and cozy in those chilly winter months – and having a garage door that is fully operational is crucial to meeting that demand.

1) Weather stripping troubles

This is quite common if you live in an area that experiences heavy snowfalls during the winter months. Frozen water next to your garage door could make the weather stripping stick to the ground. In this situation, as soon as the door is raised your weather stripping will tear apart – leaving you with a hefty energy bill due to poor insulation, as well as a much needed repair job. To prevent this from happening, check that the area outside of your garage door is clear of puddles, frozen water and snow. Remove any residue that’s lingering around and you’ll be all set.

2) Your door is no longer opening and/or closing smoothly

While this is an issue that could happen all year round, your door will likely be more vulnerable in the colder seasons. If you’re struggling to keep your door in place, or you’re finding it too difficult to operate, check if the door has become misaligned. While you’re at it, check if any components are in need of a bit of oiling too. If your door is slightly out of balance, see if tapping it back into position solves your issues. Be careful, though: out of track doors can be very dangerous to handle without proper training – don’t try to DIY things if you can see that a few taps are not going to do the job. If in doubt, get in touch with a qualified technician in your area and ask for an inspection.

3) The door has become quite noisy

During the winter months, it’s very common for your garage door to become noisier than usual. From minor squeaks to loud screeching and grumbling, different sounds can be caused by various factors. In the winter months, however, the most common reason for strange noises is that your door needs a bit more oiling. Your local garage door repairs business will have the right lubricants for your doors – you should be greasing up the springs, tracks and hinges. Try this first and, if you’re still hearing noises, contact a garage door technician so they can figure out what’s amiss.

4) The cold weather has hardened up the grease on your door

Actually, most problems you’ll find with a garage door in cold weather tend to be directly related to the oiling of your springs, tracks, hinges and rollers. Lubricants work well in garage doors and motor engines because they’re designed to operate under extremely high temperatures – unfortunately, that means your standard oils don’t perform quite as well in winter. As the temperature starts to drop, you might find that any built up grease on your door’s components will likely thicken and harden. In order to prevent this, you’ll need to keep an eye on your door’s tracks and rollers and remove and residual grease you find – all you need is an applicable solvent, which you should be able to purchase from a garage door repairs specialist. Once you’ve cleaned up the gunk, replace your old, hardened grease with a silicone-based oil – this tends to withstand the winter conditions much better than your standard lubes.

5) Excess grease has built up along the tracks and rollers

Speaking of built-up grease, finding the right balance between your oils will prevent some of the most common garage door issues from taking place – from the hardened up residue that we previously mentioned, to strange noises and even misalignment issues. To ensure your hinges and components have just the right amount of lubrication, apply the oils in small amounts. It’ll take a few tries to get things right but this basic bit of maintenance will help keep everything operating smoothly.

6) Contracting metal has caused some components to break

This is very common during winter. As it gets colder, your garage door’s metal components will shrink and contract. That means the screws and springs that hold everything in place will become more vulnerable to breakage. While this is an inevitable reality, there are some measure you can take to prevent the worst case scenarios. The best way to do it? Keep everything oiled up properly – it’s as simple as that. And if you do find yourself with damaged springs and components, get in touch with a repairs technician as soon as possible – this is not something that can be mended safely without the proper training, tools and experience.

Live elsewhere? Allow us to help you make an informed decision. The best way to find a qualified repairs professional in your area is to ask around – word of mouth is still the best way to glean a business’s reputation. Get recommendations from people you trust, read up on online reviews and call 2-3 businesses to inquire closely about their abilities. When talking to a repairs professional, always ask for licensing and insurance details, minimum callout charges, and product warranties. Don’t hire a company with no verifiable address, who ask for full payment before conducting any repairs (partial deposits are legitimate), or who refuses to give you basic details like a full company name or client references in the area.

No matter where you live, we hope this blog post has demystified the garage door troubles you might encounter during the winter season. If you have any questions, make sure to get in touch with a qualified garage door repairs expert.