Preparing For Winter With Garage Door Maintenance
For most homeowners, their garage doors are the main entrance to their homes. Now, imagine coming home after work or running errands, preparing to relax and enjoy quality time with your family, and clicking your garage door remote only to find the garage door won’t budge. Being exposed to extremely cold temperatures, cool winds and excess moisture, it’s fairly common during the winter in Tennessee for your garage door to freeze shut.
Although finding your garage door frozen closed is inconvenient, this occurrence can be easily avoided by properly performing garage door winterization maintenance before the temperature drops.
Prepare Your Home for Winter
Your home’s garage is used every day to facilitate safe and convenient entry to your home and store important items like your vehicle, paints and chemicals. Winter weather that seeps into your garage can wreak havoc on your possessions and garage door system, possibly allowing the parts to wear and freeze shut, leaving you stranded outside your garage or trapped inside.
Keep your garage door functional and reliable this winter by performing the following garage door maintenance tasks:
Seal the Garage Door and Replace Weatherstripping
The weatherstripping on the bottom of your garage door prevents pests, debris and outdoor elements and water from entering your garage. But with regular use, it will eventually become worn and cracked. Once the weatherstripping is damaged, water can seep into your garage. On a cold night, this water will freeze underneath the garage, preventing the system from being able to open.
Inspect for Damage and Repair Leaks
Besides the weatherstripping, check your garage door for signs of damage like cracks or holes that could also allow water into your garage. Also, check that there are no other areas of your home that could impact the quality of your garage like clogged gutters, cracked and uneven concrete, or poor drainage.
Like poor-quality weatherstripping, any area where water can leak into your garage can negatively impact several pieces of hardware or cause your system to freeze and refuse to open.
Lubricate Moving Parts
To ensure your garage door is always functioning dependably, professionals recommend lubricating all moving parts several times per year, especially before the winter season. Use regular-grade machine oil and coat the moving parts of your garage door, including the rollers, track, hinges, bushings and springs. These pieces of hardware can become corroded over time or tighten and stall when the temperature is cool. By keeping them lubricated, you can reduce wear and tear and prevent premature replacement.
If you’re unsure which type of lubrication to use for your garage door, consult with your local garage door professionals to determine which products work best for your system.
Remove Track Buildup
Garage door tracks allow the door to smoothly and efficiently raise and lower as needed. But over time, grease buildup and other debris can get clogged within the track and impact the functionality of the door. Too much dirt and buildup in the track will eventually prevent the door from being able to open or close. Before winter, clear out any debris to ensure your door always works as you expect it to.
Purchase a Battery Backup
When a winter storm whips through central Tennessee, there’s a chance the power in your home may go out. Not only is a power outage inconvenient and potentially hazardous, but it will also mean your garage door cannot open. Many garage door openers are compatible with a battery backup. Some newer garage door openers also come with a battery backup feature installed. If you’re stuck in a storm, you will find that a battery backup is a worthwhile investment.
If your power does go out and you do not have a battery backup, to safely get out of the garage you’ll have to disconnect your garage door from the opener and manually lift it. Easily disengage your door from the opener by pulling the red emergency cord, then lift the door open from the bottom. Once power has been restored, you can reconnect the door to the opener.
Choose EXL Garage Doors for Maintenance Before Winter
Don’t get stuck outside this winter with a frozen garage door. Instead, contact the experienced professionals at EXL Garage Doors to help you perform winter weather garage door maintenance. For over 23 years, we’ve been the best and most knowledgeable garage door professionals throughout the Nashville, Gallatin and Franklin, TN, areas. To schedule garage door maintenance services, call us today at 615-863-5106 to speak to a team member or complete our online form to request a free service estimate.