Your garage door is a feature of your home that you probably use daily but don’t think much about. It adds curb appeal to your property and helps keep your valuables safe, which is why it’s smart to keep up with regular maintenance throughout the year. As winter approaches, the temperature change can affect your garage door’s functionality, so utilize the checklist below to make sure you’re prepared.
How to Prepare Your Garage Door for Winter
1. Check the Weather Seal
Prepare your garage door to help you hold onto more heat. Start by inspecting the seal on the bottom of your door and the weather stripping around your door. Even a tiny crack can quickly pull warm air outside, allowing heating costs to increase. If you notice any damaged or missing weather seal, be sure to have it replaced before the freezing temperatures arrive.
2. Lubricate
Your garage door is comprised of numerous moving components that allow it to open and close like hinges, springs, and cables. Cold temperatures cause these metal parts to shrink slightly, putting stress on the joints where they meet. All of these parts require lubrication occasionally, but especially in the winter. Before freezing temperatures hit, use a spray lubricant on the bearings, hinges, and springs. To ensure the lubricant is evenly distributed in all the joints, run the motor a few times.
3. Check the Electric Door Operator
During frigid temperatures and winter storms, having access to your garage is crucial. If the door remote isn’t working properly, you could find yourself stuck outside in unfavorable conditions. Before the peak of the season, have a technician inspect your garage door keypad and remote to ensure they work. Keep a replacement battery on-hand, so you can still use your garage if the original dies.
Now is the time to get your garage door and electric operator serviced by an experienced Overhead Door Company of Brookfield technician—before you’re stuck with a broken cable and can’t get out. For over 25 years, this Better Business Bureau®-accredited company has provided residential and commercial customers throughout Fairfield County, CT, with top-quality repairs, replacements, and maintenance services. Visit their website to learn more about what they do, and call (203) 740-7691 to request an appointment today.