Anne Arundel County typically suffers a few stiff winter months. With an unpredictable array of weather patterns a Marylander can be exposed too, it is important to keep your garage door operating properly during the winter months.
Cold weather is especially hard on a garage door’s moving parts and motor. Tracks are not as flexible, rollers tend to seize, and batteries tend to drain faster on our openers. Door Tech Garage Door Services offers you a few tips on how to ensure that your garage door continues to operate this winter.
Test your door.
If your door is opening slower than usual or not opening at all when you press your remote there may be a few causes. You can try to diagnose your garage door by first releasing the door from the opener. Next open and close your door manually a few times.
Was the door hard to open?
- Check the rollers first. Is there any rubbing or resistance? Often rollers are lubricated with grease. At lower temperatures grease thickens and no longer lubricates and often gums up your tracks and rollers. This can cause roller failure or damage to your tracks. Removing excess grease may be needed. Door Tech Garage Door Services recommends using clear silicone spray from your local hardware store to lubricate your rollers and tracks after removing excess grease.
- Your garage door springs or torsion bars may also be a culprit. Garage door torsion springs do wear out, and replacing them a few times during the lifetime of a residence is common practice. The average life cycle of garage door springs is approximately 10,000 open and closes. A busy family can open and close their garage several times per day only allowing a few years of life for the springs.
To test if your springs need replacing. Lower your door to approximately 2 feet from the ground. Now let go of your door. If your door stayed in place that is a good indication that your springs are still in great shape. If the weight of your door caused it to lower, then you need to consider replacing your springs.
Did the door open and close easily?
- If the door opens manually with ease this eliminates the rollers, tracks, or springs from being the main cause. Your garage door opener’s force settings may need to be adjusted.
- Are your batteries dead? Colder months tend to wear batteries out more quickly so try to remember to replace your batteries in the fall to ensure your opener is working when Maryland is getting one of it’s famous north-eastern winter storms.
Did your door not open at all?
- In the winter, ice can be the obvious culprit. Pro-tip, clean and lubricate the bottom weather-stripping of your garage door with clear silicone spray. This will prevent the door from freezing shut.
- If you do not use your door regularly, then you should make it a habit to open and close your door a few times a week just to keep components from seizing.
Preventative Maintenance
- Clean and replace weather-stripping
- Test springs or torsion bars – How to Test Your Own Garage Door Springs
- Check and lubricate rollers and tracks
If you sense that something is wrong or your door simply stops operating, Door Tech Garage Door Services is happy to speak with you to give you additional information and help you diagnose your issues. This February when the temperature is 3 degrees and the wind is blowing 20 miles per hour, your garage will feel like paradise. Scraping ice and snow off your car this winter will be no hassle if you are parked safely in your garage. Keeping out of the elements is more than just a convenience. Slip and Fall accidents account for more injury fatalities for older Americans than any other cause. In addition, if you do slip and fall the CDC estimates that you have a 20-30% chance of hitting your head.