Cold Weather and Your Garage Door: Tips and Solutions

This upcoming winter season, are you prepared to deal with potential garage door issues? Even if you live in a warmer climate, any sort of drop in temperature can result in unexpected changes in the way your garage door functions. Homeowners are sometimes caught off guard as the season begins to change and their garage door suddenly doesn’t seem to want to cooperate.

There are several reasons why your garage door may act up when the weather starts to change from fall to winter. Below you will learn about these reasons in detail, as well as how to take care of any cold weather symptoms your garage door may display.

Reasons Why Your Garage Performs Worse in Winter

There are five main reasons why your garage door may perform poorly in the winter. Consider whether or not the following common cold weather symptoms may be affecting your garage.

Metal Contracts when Cold

Your garage door is made mostly of metal parts and components. Whenever metal of any kind is cold, it will inevitably contract. The extent to which the materials in your garage will shrink may affect the performance of your garage door. The tracks, springs, and other parts are all prone to contracting and interfering with the normal functioning of your garage door.

Lack of Grease

Garage door lubrication is more likely to dry up in the winter months. Your garage may suddenly jerk while rolling up or down or have trouble moving in the first place. This may be due to a lack of lubrication.

Hardened Grease

The grease of lubrication on your garage door can also harden if the weather is cold enough. You may find that it is difficult, if not impossible, for your garage to operate if there is any interference on the garage door parts from hardened grease.

Your Garage Door Tracks May Warp

Since metal contracts in colder weather, one of the main parts that may be affected on your garage are the tracks. They may warp or misalign themselves if the weather drops suddenly or is consistently frigid.

The Springs are More Likely to Break or Wear

Your garage door springs are also more vulnerable in the wintertime. Springs are some of the most important parts on your garage and necessary for it to function properly. If cold weather starts to affect your springs negatively, they may suddenly break or stop working as they should.

How to Alleviate Poor Performance in Cold Weather

Now that you know more about how cold weather can affect your garage, it is now time to move on to finding the right solutions. Below you will find some suggestions that can help you outwit cold weather and keep your garage door running smoothly all winter long.

Apply the Right Amount of Lubrication

Make sure to keep up on lubricating the parts of your garage door during the wintertime. As was mentioned above, the absence of lubrication can cause serious problems in the wintertime. You will want to make sure to purchase lubrication that can be applied to the springs, rollers, and other parts. If you are uncertain about lubricating your garage door on your own, know that a garage door specialist can assist you in this procedure. For certain individuals, this may be the safest and most efficient option, especially if you have little experience working with garage doors.

Warm Up Your Garage

If cold weather is causing serious issues for your household when it comes to your garage door, you may need to consider warming up your garage door with a space heater of some kind. You do not necessarily have to leave it running for long. Using a space heater in your garage for a few minutes before you leave for work in the morning may be enough to warm up the garage. 

Apply Weather Stripping 

Weather stripping is most often found on the bottom of your garage door, running the entire length of it. This helps prevent wind, debris, and colder temperatures from seeping into your garage. If the weather stripping on your garage door is worn, this will inevitably contribute to any cold weather issues you may experience with your garage. Replace the weather stripping if necessary or have it inspected for its quality if you want to ensure that cold weather does not interfere with your garage door more than it already will.

Work with a Professional

One last thing you can do to help combat garage door problems you may experience during the winter months is to consult with an expert. A local specialist in your area will know what kind of problems other garage door owners in the region experience when it comes to the climate, cold weather, and abrupt weather changes. It is a good idea to work with a garage door specialist ahead of time, such as in the late summer or early fall months. That way, you know you will be prepared for any inclement weather that may come your way.