Learning All About Barn-Style Garage Doors

Posted on: 19 October 2018

As you get your home and property all ready for winter, don't forget one important area: your garage. As the temperature drops, your garage door's efficiency can be affected. Here are a few tips to keep your garage door and bay in good shape during the winter months.

Clean and Lubricate the Tracks

Cold temperatures can cause oil to thicken and freeze, meaning that any grime that hasn't been cleaned out will now be incredibly difficult to remove. Fall is the perfect time to clean the metal tracks for your garage. Use an old toothbrush to loosen and remove any grease or debris that's built up over the year.

You may need to park your car outside of the garage and use a stepladder to easily reach all of the areas that need cleaning. Once gunk is removed, use silicone spray on bearings and wipe the tracks with a clean rag before applying a lubricant.

As the temperatures drop, the metal components of your garage door can contract, thus increasing the risk of warping tracks. If you clean and lubricate your tracks in the fall, they will have a decreased chance of warping. As you clean the tracks, take note of any areas that may need repairs.

You will need to contact a garage door professional to fix any warped tracks or broken springs, as these repairs can be incredibly dangerous for the layperson to make on his or her own.

Replace the Weather Stripping

If ice has easily accumulated on the weather stripping in the past, you may want to replace it altogether. Old or cracked weather stripping makes it easier for ice to form and makes it easier for moisture to seep into the garage.

Even when the weather stripping is replaced, it's important for you to remember to free the garage door of ice before opening it. Use an ice brush from your car to gently tap the garage door, and wipe off the ice around the door base. This is vital as the door itself can freeze to the weather stripping and can be difficult to open.

Nip Condensation in the Bud

Garages usually have poor ventilation, which means that it's easier for condensation to build up. To improve the ventilation, be sure that your vents are about six inches in diameter; if that's not enough, you should add exhaust fans. If the ventilation isn't taken care of, then the condensation buildup could:

• corrode the garage door tracks
• affect the battery contacts on the transmitter
• affect the garage door motor and reduce its efficiency
• cause frost to form on the garage door's photoelectric sensors
• increase your chances of slipping on ice
• increase the risk of mold, which can cause structural damage and increase the risk of health problems in your household

When you pull in your car, give it a good wipe down with a towel before you head inside. Since the car will be warm, it will melt the snow and release that moisture into the air. If you wipe down the car a bit, your garage won't be so humid from melted ice.

It's also worth your while to inspect your garage's floor drainage. Your garage floor can be sealed so that moisture doesn't crack the concrete. Make sure that the weather stripping around the garage door isn't impeding any drain pits or floor grooves. Like the garage door tracks, you should clean out any debris in the floor grooves before winter hits so that water can easily drain away.

For more tips and information, contact garage services in your local area. A garage door professional can help you winterize your garage and garage door.