How to Weather-Proof Your Garage Door

1. Properly Grease Your Garage Door System

Changing weather can seal your garage door shut at the bottom. Grease is rarely a problem when temperatures are higher, but cold weather can prevent your garage door from opening and closing when there’s not enough grease. The metal materials that make up the system’s components contract and shrink slightly slightly when exposed to cold-warm temperatures. Lubricant helps prevent this change from affecting the way the gears move and work.

However, you don’t want to go overboard. You want just enough grease, but not too much so as to cause gears to slip and get thrown off. Use silicone-based oil so that the grease doesn’t thicken when temperatures drop.

2. Paint Your Concrete Floor

Cement brings in cold air and moisture from the ground. Painting your garage floor with concrete paint can reduce the amount of cold, damp air that gets in, serving as a seal to keep your garage warmer. This can help make your garage and even your home more energy efficient in the winter months.

3. Check Your Weather Stripping

Just like your front door, your garage door has weather stripping at the bottom to help keep the elements out. If it’s not in good condition when winter rolls around, you could end up with water flooding your garage as snow or ice melts. Obviously, solid weather stripping also helps keep the cold air out, sealing warmer air in. Maintain your weather stripping by keeping it clean and checking for tears or damage. If your weather stripping is too damaged or has fallen off, you can have it replaced.

When to Call for Professional Help

Sometimes, the winter brings problems for garage doors we can’t avoid. Only a garage door repair specialist should make these garage door repairs when parts break, as removing broken parts and replacing them is a dangerous job that requires the right tools and know-how. If you run into problems as temperatures start to fall, be sure to give us a call.