Cold winter temperatures and snowy weather are tough on your home’s exterior, causing damage to the roof, windows, doors and seals if you’re not partaking in proper preventative maintenance. However, many homeowners don’t realize that these extreme conditions can also wreak havoc on your garage door. There are a few issues that are common in areas that experience harsh winters, but you can avoid expensive garage door repair if you keep your eyes open for the warning signs.
Seals and Weather Stripping
As you drive into your garage, your car tires bring snow and water in with them. In addition, snow piles up outside the garage door during winter storms. In both cases, the moisture adheres to the seal or weather stripping at the bottom of the garage door. Then, when you open the door, the seal may rip and detach from the bottom. To avoid needing weather seal replacement services, sweep the snow away from the area as often as possible.
Broken Springs
Frigid temperatures cause metal to become hard and brittle, including the springs. If you have difficulty opening your garage door and it feels heavy, you may have a broken spring. Only a qualified garage door repair expert should replace a broken spring.
Garage Door Drive Track
The drive tracks are the two long strips on each side of your garage door that guide it into place as it raises and lowers. When they become obstructed by debris, the door will jam. Keep them free of obstructions by brushing the drive track frequently, especially during winter when sand and salt are used to remove snow and ice on roads.
Other problems can arise when winter weather strikes, but being aware of the most common issues can help you catch many of these concerns before they become serious. Preventative maintenance and regular inspections should be performed yearly at a minimum. Recognizing these issues will not only save you money, but also can prolong the life of your garage door.
Homeowners have a giant task of keeping their homes looking great and free from mechanical breakdowns. Weather plays a big part in how things operate and look around your property. Often, during the winter months is when things will breakdown or stop working altogether.
If you have a garage and the door has stopped working, then you will need to get it repaired right away. To help you understand how cold weather affects your garage door, here are some common problems that people face, and how they have solved the problem.
Common Problems of Garage Doors during the Winter
- One problem that the cold weather can cause is for the garage door to stick to the ground. Ice and snow can build up around the rubber seal making it rip as the door goes up. Solve this problem by simply keeping the ice and snow away from the door as much as possible.
- Keep your garage door lubricated. This helps to minimize the friction that is exerted on the moving parts and will allow the door to open better even in the cold winter months.
- If the motor seems to struggle to lift the door, you might be dealing with a broken spring. Springs play an important role, balancing the door so the operator can lift it easilly. A repair of this type should only be performed by a professional repair person.
Your garage gives you the space to enter and leave your home in a weather free environment. By keeping your garage door working great you can use that space throughout the year. You will also be able to avoid costly repairs by following these simple tips to keeping your garage door working properly.
As the winter winds begin to howl and the snow begins to fall, many homeowners are putting the final touches on winterizing their homes. From heaters for outdoor water pipes, to purchasing a generator, there are many ways that a home can be properly outfitted for the harsh winter months.
Did you know that one of the areas that are most often overlooked for winter maintenance is the garage doors? Proper garage door maintenance helps to prolong the longevity of your garage doors, as well as helping to keep your home safe and dry when the winter winds start to blow.
A few DIY garage door winter maintenance tips:
- Clean the exterior of the garage doors with a mixture of household cleaning products. Removing debris and build-up from the exterior of the doors will help to eliminate damage from rust and clogged hinges.
- Clean the weather stripping at the bottom of the garage door. As you clean the weather stripping, be sure to check for cracks, tears, missing pieces, and places where the stripping may not be securely attached. A garage door’s weather stripping helps to keep your garage dry and the winter elements out.
- Check and clean garage door windows. Damaged windows should be replaced. The sealing around all windows should be checked for cracks, and should be replaced before rain and snow can cause damage to the window frame or the interior of your garage.
- Evaluate the moving parts of the garage door. Use a cloth to remove grease build-up on the track(s) and rollers. Grease build-up can cause unnecessary wear and tear on the opening and closing mechanisms of the garage door. For your safety, never attempt to adjust the cables or torsion springs on your own. The latter parts are responsible for the opening and closing of the garage door, as such improperly adjusting the tension or position can cause the garage door to malfunction, which can potentially cause bodily harm. Finally, make sure that the garage door sensors are properly lined up, and that stored objects remain clear of the sensors.
- Be sure to check remote control batteries. When it comes to garage doors there is nothing quite as frustrating as owning a remote control garage door opener, only to have the batteries die when you need them most.
By following these five simple tips you can ensure that your garage is properly winterized and that its contents remain protected for the harsh weather months to come.
Winter is just around the corner so it is time for you to think about preparing your garage for the cold season. If you don’t like getting into an icy car in the winter, a winter proof, heated garage is a great idea. Winter-proofing your garage also makes your work in your garage more tolerable during the cold winter months. Here are some tips that you can use to winter-proof your garage.
Seal cracks and holes
Assess the areas inside your garage that let in cold air or allow warm air out. These areas include cracks on your wall or gaps near your windows. You should also inspect the seals on your garage doors.Any leaks or holes around windows and walls should be sealed off. Caulk can be used to seal the small gaps and cracks around your windows. Cracked or broken windows should be replaced.
Use an old blanket to insulate your garage
The base of your garage’s doors and windows can be insulated using towels or old blankets to block any drafts. This temporary solution can be used to prevent cold wind from entering the drafty areas of your garage.
Replace old doors
Old non-insulated garage doors can be replaced with new insulated doors. There are many affordable insulated options available today.
Install a heater
A heater that is designed specifically for garages can be installed. If you use a regular space heater, it can cause a fire, especially if it is used near chemicals.
Paint your concrete floor
Since a cement slab floor can conduct chilled ground moisture into your garage, you can apply concrete paint on your floor to limit the infiltration of dampness. This will help keep the cold out and seal in the warm temperatures in your garage.
If your home garage is in need of professional repair service, contact one of the pro’s of Garage Door Repair LLC.
Have you thought about how energy inefficient your garage is? Most worry about keeping their home warm and comfy during the cold season, however, they fail to realize that their garage sucks out a lot of energy from their home. Here are ten things you can do to make your garage energy-efficient and save money on energy costs throughout the cold season.
- Insulate Garage Walls: Rolling the right R-value insulation between your joists or blowing it through a small hole in your drywall filling your garage’s sides and ceiling can help keep the warm air in and the cool air out.
- Caulk between Your Garage Walls and Floor: A foam sealant or latex/silicone based caulk works wonders to prevent heat from flowing out between your walls and floor.
- Seal the Door Connecting Your Home to Your Garage: Check for leaks around the entrance door. Install weather-stripping around the door frame. If your threshold isn’t properly sealing the bottom of your door, apply a draft stopper. Caulk any leaks and the trim along the outside and inside of the door.
- Insulate Your Garage Door: You can either buy an insulation kit or a new insulated door. The kit will be more affordable, however, may not provide as much insulation as a new door.
- Insulate Outlets and Light Switches: Use outlet/switch foam gaskets to seal these small escape hatches for energy and carbon monoxide.
- Switch out Your Lights: Start using either CFL or LED lights in your garage. A LED light bulb only uses 12 watts of electricity to create the equal amount of lumens as a regular 60 watt bulb. A CFL light only uses 15 watts.
- Windows: Switch out your older windows with Energy Star® certified windows.
- Solar Heating: If you really want to make your garage energy-efficient, install solar panels. This way you’ll avoid using electricity or gas to keep your garage warm and comfy.
- Seal Cracks in Your Garage Floor: Cracks in your garage floor introduce cold air and gases into your garage and allow heat to escape. Concrete sealant will help prevent heated air from escaping and stop cold air and gases from entering.
- Keep Your Garage Organized: Do you have too much stuff crammed into your garage? Invest in a storage shed.
Your garage is an important part of your home. Follow these tips and you’ll have a more comfortable garage and home and lower energy bills. For more information from professional garage door repair technicians, contact your local repair company today!
How can something smaller than a peanut do so much damage to a garage? That is the question many homeowners ask themselves after they realize that carpenter ants have hollowed out major pieces of wooding and insulation in their garage.
Structures like garages made from wood are ideal places for carpenter ant infestations because they can easily find wall voids and locate areas not sealed properly making it easy for them to get inside. Another attraction for carpenter ants in garages is the moisture levels. Garages typically have less air circulation and serve as storage areas for wet clothing like fishing and skiing gear. Leaky hoses also contribute to garage moisture levels and send welcoming messages to carpenter ants to make themselves at home.
Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood. However, they do significant damage by turning solid wood planks into sawdust called frass. When a homeowner finds piles of frass, it becomes apparent that carpenter ants have settled into the building. Bugs that are nesting in wood are just as bad as bugs that eat wood. If a carpenter’s nest is left untreated, the colonies grow larger and the need for additional space increases. Therefore the ants will continue to remove more and more wood.
Not only do carpenter ants create giant holes in wood for their nests, but they also destroy wood to build tunnels that allow them to leave the nest in order to hunt for food.
Homeowners are smart to address a carpenter ant infestation head-on instead of ignoring the issue. Ants may not seem harmful and as long as they are not inside the house, however, the damage that carpenter ants can do to a wooden structure of a garage will eventually become an expensive problem.
Exterminators can easily come in and rid the garage of the infestation although there are cheaper alternatives. Boric acid can be purchased at the hardware store and is typically successful for destroying nests. Certain types of absorption powders can also be used to dry out a carpenter ant problem.
Homeowners who detect a termite problem in their garage typically have a more severe situation on their hands. Like carpenter ants, termite damage may take a few years to become noticeable. Unlike carpenter ants, the damage termites cause can be much worse. Termites eat wood and chew ferociously on wood grain.
The National Pest Management Association estimates that termites cause at least $5 billion in property damage every year. The damage that the pests can cause to a garage includes the destruction of every component of the structure like support beams, posts, joists and studs. In most cases, the damage caused by termites can be repaired but subterranean termites (the most vicious type) have been known to cause thousands and thousands of dollars to individual homeowners.
Prevention is the best way to avoid dealing with a carpenter ant or termite infestation. While insects as small as these can find their way into your garage though various passages, having a garage door that does not properly seal is almost like a welcome mat for critters.
Garage Door Repair LLC offers a weather seal replacement product that not only keeps out inclement weather but also creates the perfect barrier for pests. With this vinyl rubber seal, termites and carpenter ants will have a much more difficult time entering any garage space.