Garage Door Issues You Might Run Into This Winter

Posted on: 18 January 2021

Your garage door can sometimes be overlooked when it comes to performing regular home maintenance. With that said, the winter season, in particular, can sometimes cause problems, both due to the weather itself and the fact that most homeowners prefer staying inside the actual house where it's warm as opposed to standing out in the cold garage to conduct an inspection. Still, a responsible homeowner will make it a point to keep an eye on certain things unless they want to deal with scheduling a garage door repair appointment. Here are some of the potential things that could go wrong with your garage door this winter or any other time of year.

Dry Air Leads to Less Lubrication

In order for your garage door to run smoothly, the gears and tracks should have proper lubrication. This lubrication will need to be re-applied on a regular basis, but special care should be made to this area during the winter, when the air outside can get especially dry. Each time you open the garage door and let that cold air in, you could be drying up whatever lubrication is still in place. Do this too often and you'll soon have gears that have suffered too much wear and tear and will need to be repaired or replaced by a professional.

Debris in the Tracks Could Cause a Repair or Replacement Issue

The beginning of the winter season typically has lots of dead leaves on the ground thanks to the previous autumn. If these leaves get into your garage door tracks, they could cause the door to close in a jerky fashion, causing wear and tear to the gears and possibly to the tracks themselves. Another potential issue when the weather gets colder is melting snow and ice. If you somehow get water into the tracks when the garage door is open, you could be in trouble if that water then freezes over inside the tracks while you have the garage door open. Avoid this situation by keeping the garage door closed except when absolutely needed. For example, if you need to get the Christmas lights out of or put them back into the garage, don't leave the door open all day while you are putting the lights up or taking them down.

Your Metal Is Contracting

Are you having issues with moving your door up and down manually, but you've checked lubrication and the tracks and everything seems fine? Well, this issue could arise if the metal in the gears contracts due to long-term exposure to cold weather. Forcing the door open or closed while the gears aren't quite right is just going to cause wear and tear or outright damage. Be gentle while pushing or pulling the door, or contact a professional if the door is clearly not opening and closing properly.

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