The garage door, the largest and most used moving part of your home, opens and closes around 1,500 times annually. Despite heavy usage, a robustly-constructed garage door can last up to 20 years with optimal care. Approximately 55% of homes use the garage door as the main entrance.
A garage door can revamp a home’s curb appeal, whether made of fiberglass, steel, or aluminum. Invest in seasonal care to maintain the natural beauty of a garage door and optimize its functionality.
Seasonal Garage Door Care Tips to Know
Every season exposes your garage door to diverse climatic conditions that affect it differently. In hot climates, the belt drive extension and torsion springs suffer. The insulation quality of a garage door affects overall durability and the quality of care needed. Regardless of age and type, the following seasonal garage door care tips can keep your door system in peak working condition.
1. Fall Garage Door Care Tips
The cold fall climatic conditions cause the contraction of metal parts. Left unchecked, this can cause binding and misalignment of those parts. Extreme moisture and leaf accumulation often make the door systems corrode. The impact of strong winds leads to damage to the door components. Seasonal garage door preparation and regular checkups can protect against the extreme impact of unfriendly fall conditions.
Apply enough lubrication to all moving parts to keep them working optimally. Check the weatherstripping and ensure the seal is firm. For areas that experience heavy fall rainfall, install door sweeps to keep water away from the garage. Have the door tracks inspected and the accumulated debris and grime cleaned. Repair rusty, cracked, and dented parts immediately.
Boost the efficiency of springs, rollers, and hinges by applying light white lithium grease coating. The importance of proper greasing goes beyond preventing wear and reducing friction. Ensure optimal functionality of the auto-reverse feature to prevent it from closing on people to cause injuries.
2. Caring for Your Garage Door in Summer
Summer weather introduces a range of unsafe conditions that affect how well your garage door works. The high heat levels expand metal components, leaving them misaligned and bound. The extreme summer UV impact could lead to shading of the door finish. In summer, humidity rises to unimaginable levels, which can cause swelling and warping of wooden door components. The metallic components could also corrode. Finishing parts get weakened and damaged by the extreme sunlight effect.
The trick is keeping moving components lubricated with top-quality lubricant and door finish protected with UV-resistant coating. You have to close the door when not in use to prevent entry of pests and damage by elements. Get a qualified technician to check the springs for damage and wear. Worn-out springs need immediate replacement to avert related safety hazards.
Cleaning the door removes pollen and grime buildup. That ensures smooth functionality and prevents the door from closing on someone. Apply a high-quality finish on the door ends and edges to create a solid barrier between moisture and wood. You want to maintain your home’s humidity levels between 30 and 50 percent to prevent the wood from absorbing extreme moisture.
3. Caring For Your Garage Door in Spring
Spring weather torments and threatens the existence of your garage door. Spring rains are the biggest enemy of your wooden garage doors. The hygroscopic wood fibers absorb moisture and make the doors expand. That can swell up the doors, making them unable to fit in the door frame. High-quality weatherstripping prevents moisture from entering the wood components. Therefore, always ensure the weatherstripping has proper sealing.
Moisture also deals adversely with metal components by creating conditions ideal for corrosion and rusting. Remember, rusting brittles ultimately weaken metal parts. It can cause failure of the doors. Use a dehumidifier and humidifier to control moisture flow in the garage door to minimize such problems. Get a professional to regularly check your garage door and clean moisture buildup on rollers and trackers. The buildup of grime and moisture can lead to unbalanced weight, so keep that in check, too.
4. Caring For Your Garage Door in Winter
Winter, being the coldest season, deals a blow on your garage door. From heavy rainfalls to strong winds and moisture accumulation, you must prepare your door for this unpredictable season. Maintain your garage door tracks free of ice and snow to ensure smooth opening and closing. Add an extra layer of insulation to keep your garage warm during the cold days. The auto-reverse feature can get damaged over time, so evaluate it and have it repaired and replaced if need be.
The springs and other parts of the door responsible for controlling opening and closing should be in perfect condition. Lubricate moving parts and check the door balancing to avoid overworking some door components.
Wrapping Up
Every season of the year brings its share of threats to your garage door. Knowing what to do in every season prepares you for uncertainties and ensures you can keep your doors working optimally. These are practical seasonal garage door preparation and care tips to keep it in ideal working condition. Most garage door problems need a professional eye. Never attempt repairs and maintenance meant for professionals, as you might get injured or damage the door.
Author:
“Jessica is a content specialist in health and wellness niche from last 5 years. Apart from writing she loves to travel and read books. She also have worked with Elite Garage Door & Gate Repair .”