Properly Winterize Your Garage Door
Winter is tough – even if you love snow! You know what else might agree? Your garage door, especially if you have a mishap and find yourself needing emergency garage door service. Is your garage door ready for the quickly approaching winter season? It is important to remember that your garage door should be properly prepared for the colder weather to come. The good news is that there are a few things you can do to prevent a problem that disrupts your day. Winterizing your garage door only takes 30 minutes, but your comfort level will go up exponentially as a result. Here are some winter tips to keep your garage in good condition.
1. Call for Maintenance
Getting your garage door serviced before winter or at least before you need to call for emergency garage door service is a good way to avoid needing to make that call. A professional will test the garage door balance, lubricate the moving parts, replace the weather stripping (if needed), inspect and replace the rollers, check the cables, clear the tracks, and take a host of other preventative measures to make certain your garage doors are ready for action regardless of the weather.
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2. Replace the Remote Batteries
Your garage door opener remote batteries are designed to only last one year. It is recommended that you either replace the remote batteries before winter or keep a spare set of batteries on hand to avoid being forced out into the cold to manually open the door.
3. Check Your External Keypad
For added security, many homeowners now have an external keypad to open their garage door. Remember to check the 9-volt battery in your garage door keypad as well in order to ensure that it has plenty of juice for the cold winter months ahead.
4. Inspect the Springs to your Garage Door
Before performing this important task, remember to disable your garage door opener. You do this by pulling on the emergency cord. You will then want to open the garage door manually. If you found this easy to do with one hand, then the springs are in great working order. If it was difficult to open, you will want to determine the cause. Do not try to fix this yourself! Call us at RCS Garage so one of our technicians can find the problem and fix it properly.
5. Check out the Weather Stripping
You want to make sure the weather-stripping on the outside of your garage door frame is adequately functioning. If you see any damage or the stripping itself has hardened because of heat exposure, you will want to replace it. Remember, if it is made of PVC, you will want to use a silicone-based lubricant. While you’re at it, look at the weather-stripping on the bottom of the garage door as well. If it looks damaged, you should go ahead and replace it as well.
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6. Lubricate the Metal Parts
You will want to give each of the metal parts of your door proper lubrication prior to winter’s arrival. This includes the springs, track, and rollers.
To begin, take a dry cloth and remove any excess lubricant from past applications, in addition to any dust that might be present. A lubricant that is oil-based, such as 10W-30 motor oil, is recommended. Apply the lubricant sparingly, and wipe away any of the excess oil with a cloth. Avoid using products like WD-40. Those products are degreasers – not lubricants – they will actually damage your garage door!
7. Inspect the Automatic Reversal System
There are two variations to this: mechanical and photoelectric. Here are some general guidelines for each:
Mechanical – Put a small, strong object, such as a block of wood or a brick, at the threshold of the door, where it would close. Make sure nothing (and no one) else is in the way, then push the button to close the door. Once the door hits the object, it should detect some resistance. At this point, it will reverse and open back up. If it fails to do this, you will want to look at the manual that came with your garage door to determine how to make the necessary adjustments.
Photoelectric – Hold your hand or foot out in front of the beam while the door is closing. If the door does not stop and open back up when it detects your movement, then the most likely problem is a misalignment between the parts. Contact us as soon as possible to get this fixed – before someone gets hurt or your car gets damaged.
8. Have Your Vehicle’s Brakes Checked
Winter is not the time to have your brakes fail. Well, no time is really, but if you are finding it takes longer to stop than usual, that’s only going to be worse on slick, icy roads. It might surprise you how many emergency garage door service calls result from damage caused by driving into the closed door before it can rise completely.
9. Keep the Driveway Clear
Even great brakes can’t help if you hit a patch of ice on your driveway and slide into your garage doors. While you are at it, be sure to keep snow away from the garage door itself so it doesn’t interfere with the safety feature.
10. Listen to Your Door
Every time your garage door cycles, you should be listening and watching for anything unusual. If the door is moving in an uneven fashion or making odd noises, call for service, as the next time it might not open or close at all.
Contact RCS to Stay Safe This Winter
Following these tips should help you avoid any major problems with your garage door during the winter months. If you would like to get your garage door serviced to avoid a problem later or if you are in the middle of an emergency garage door service situation at your Charlotte, North Carolina home, give us a call at RCS Garage Doors. We have 24/7 availability so you won’t have to head off to work or go to sleep worried that your home isn’t protected because your garage door isn’t secure. We guarantee we will arrive on time and take care of repairing your door to your complete satisfaction.
If you want a professional to ensure your and your family’s safety this winter, contact us today!