How to Winterize Your Garage Door in Northern Utah
There’s no doubt that Northern Utah can experience its fair share of harsh winter conditions. From freezing temperatures to heavy snow and ice, winter here can pose a challenge for many homeowners. One key area of your home to keep in mind when winterizing is your garage door. We’ll discuss the key steps that you need to take to prepare your garage door for the upcoming winter chill.
Inspect and Seal
A good place to start your winterization prep is at your garage door’s weather stripping. Any gap in this seal can allow uncomfortably cold air to seep around your door and affect the comfort in your garage. What’s more, that gapping can allow unwanted pests to make their way inside.
We highly recommend having one of our garage door professionals install new weather stripping around the top, bottom, and both sides of your garage door. It’s common for these seals to become brittle or damaged and crack throughout the year. That’s why replacing them before winter is a great way to ensure an airtight seal when the freezing weather arrives in Utah. We can easily seal garage door systems for you to ensure optimal functioning during the winter.
It’s also a good idea to inspect the door frame and the place where it attaches to your existing walls. If there is any gapping in this area, reapply a silicone caulk or expanding foam sealant. This will prevent cold air from entering these locations to ensure adequate comfort in your garage. You can check for leaks by closing your garage door on a bright day and looking to see if any light comes in around the door frame.
Lubricate Moving Parts
A necessary part of garage door winter prep in Utah is door lubrication. Cold weather can make the metal components of your garage door stiffer and more prone to wear throughout the winter. A great way to combat this is by applying extra lubrication to the moving components of your garage door. This will ensure smooth operations of your hinges, rollers, and tracks.
It’s vitally important that you clean off any dirt, dust, or old lubricant that is on the door’s surfaces before applying fresh lubricant. Be sure to use a silicone-based or lithium grease product that’s rated for cold winter conditions. These are specifically designed to resist freezing temperatures. Don’t forget about lubricating the extension springs and torsion springs with a light coating.
Remove Snow and Ice
Cold-weather garage maintenance doesn’t just stop with proper sealing and lubricating. Rather, the harsh Northern Utah climate requires ongoing maintenance to ensure proper functioning of your garage door all winter long. Both snow and ice pose the biggest threat to your garage door’s operation.
All it takes is a small amount of snow buildup to prevent your door from closing properly. We suggest using a shovel or snow blower to remove any visible snow from near your garage door and where its seal touches the ground. By removing snow, you can greatly minimize the risk of it turning into ice that binds your garage door’s seal to the ground.
Schedule Professional Maintenance
One of the best things you can do to prepare your garage door for winter weather is to get a professional tune-up. Most garage doors need an annual inspection in order to maintain your warranty coverage. If you don’t have this done, the door manufacturer may deny warranty repair claims in the future. We suggest getting an inspection just before winter hits so that your door can go into the colder weather in tip-top condition.
Our garage door professionals will properly lubricate your door, replace its seals, and adjust its tension to ensure optimal operation. We’ll let you know if there are any worn-out components that you need to replace before they fail. Our routine inspections can minimize your risk of experiencing a major garage door malfunction during the upcoming winter. It will also go a long way in extending the lifespan of your garage door.
Trust Us for Expert Garage Door Maintenance
Our company offers expert garage door maintenance in Northern Utah. We also provide garage door repairs, new installations, and replacements.
Call our team at Garage Pros today to book a consultation with one of our garage door specialists.
