Winter garage door maintenance

While prepping your home for the cold winter months, don’t forget to include your garage doors in your checklist. Now is the perfect time to do so since you do not want to be stuck with a, well, stuck garage door in the cold of December. With a little bit of checking and some preventive maintenance, you should be able to save yourself from heaps of trouble later on. Here are some things that you should check for.

The Garage Door

The long, hot summer and the rains have probably left some splatter on the surface of your garage door. If you somehow forget to clean them up during summer, then you still have time to do so before the snow starts to fall. You can remove the water marks and other stains using an all-purpose cleaner and a brush. Also, if your garage doors are made up of wood or metal, then applying a coat of wood protector or antirust is in order to prevent the winter moisture from destroying them.

Weather Sealants

You should also check the frame and the weather sealant therein. This is important because the sealant works to keep the cold air outside and the warm air inside – thus, helping you keep warm throughout winter. In addition, this can also help you save on your heating costs. If you see the sealant thinning out, you can apply some silicone lubricant.

Tracks and Springs

Tracks, rollers, springs – these are all very important component of your garage door. If any of these fails, then your garage door won’t function at all. Make sure that all of these and other moving parts like hinges are properly lubricated to ensure that they move and operate smoothly. Clean the tracks using a multi-purpose cleaner, and be sure to brush away the dust buildup, all the grime that formed from the grease and lubricant and so on. Lubricate the rollers, springs and hinges as well. One more thing, make sure that the springs are working fine and are of the right tension. If not, contact a garage door specialist to adjust them for you.

One last thing, be sure to check your electric opener or remote, especially the batteries – keep an extra set of batteries at hand, just in case yours die down unexpectedly.