Garage doors primarily serve their purpose by protecting a homeowner’s car from any weather. Winter, however, can be the harshest enemy of all, especially for a garage door. This season can cause a number of problems to the functionality of your garage door. Here are some of the problems you will most likely encounter with your garage door this winter season:
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Frozen Garage Door
A garage door freezes when ice and blowing snow accumulates in the structure. As snow melts, water makes its way under the door’s rubber. At night, however, when the temperature plummets, the water will freeze. As it does, the door becomes frozen.
If not taken care of properly and regularly, your garage door can freeze to the floor. Opening a frozen garage door can cause damage to both the door and the opener.
First and foremost, do not force your garage door to open. Forcibly opening it with the motor is a bad idea. The motor could burn out or it could break the bar linking the garage to the motor.
Also, don’t manually open it yourself. Instead, call Utah’s garage door experts for repairs . While you wait for them, you can clear any snow around the garage door. Break up any patches of ice you see.
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Water Seeping Under the Garage Door
Homeowners often think that water seeping into the garage door during winter is a minor problem, but it’s not. Remember that anything damp is a breeding ground for mildew. In this case, damp concrete is. Mildew is a health hazard.
Keep tabs on your garage door throughout the season and make sure to always keep the damp surface dry. This would help avoid the forming of mildew. In case the mildew has formed, turn to garage door or water damage experts for help.
Water leaks can also make it difficult for you to close your garage door. As the temperature goes up and down, condensation buildup on the sensors could occur, blocking the infrared beams. The simple act of regularly wiping the sensors can prevent this from happening.
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Broken Springs
The cold temperature during winter can cause the metal to become brittle. When it becomes hard for you to open your garage door, it could be a sign that you have a broken garage door spring.
The sad part is there is no way to prevent garage door springs from breaking. What you can do is regularly check the spring of your garage door. Should a spring break, turn to garage door repair experts; it is unwise and unsafe to replace a spring on your own.
Garage doors, according to This Old House , have become the favorite entryway of most Americans. Homeowners often enter and leave their houses with the click of a remote instead of the turn of a key. Don’t let the cold weather stop you from making use of your garage door. Check it on a regular basis to prevent minor problems from blowing up.
