As the winter months approach, you will need to take steps to protect your home from the types of damage and problems that may arise during this time of the year. Sadly, it is common for homeowners to neglect taking steps to protect their garages against these problems. While it may not seem like the garage door needs to be prepared for the winter weather, there are several key steps that should be followed.
Check The Weatherstripping
Due to the way that the garage door will open and close, there will likely be a number of gaps between the various sections of the door. Weatherstripping is placed in these gaps to reduce the ability of drafts to form. As the weatherstripping ages, its ability to be effective will gradually degrade. Eventually, this can contribute to sizable drafts forming along with snow and ice making it inside the garage. At the start of winter, you should check the weatherstripping to determine whether it should be replaced. You can tell that the weatherstripping should be replaced by checking to determine whether it has become extremely brittle, developed cracks or is otherwise pulling away from the door.
Keep The Door's Sensors Clean
Your garage door will have a variety of sensors that are necessary for allowing it to safely function. These sensors can be responsible for allowing you to operate the door with a remote, preventing it from closing on people or objects and ensuring that the door gently raises and lowers to the ground. It can be a common problem for these sensors to become blocked during the winter months. Often, this will be due to snow and ice accumulating on them, but it can also occur as a result of dust gathering on the sensors. You should make sure to keep any of these sensors as clean as possible so that you can enjoy a garage door that works efficiently and predictably.
Remove Snow And Ice Before It Forms Large Deposits
When strong winter storms move through your area, you can find your garage door coated in a thick layer of snow and ice. These materials can add a substantial amount of weight to the door, which can strain the motor. Additionally, the ice can be hard enough to damage the door as it opens. For these reasons, you should make it a point to remove any accumulating snow and ice with an ice scraper before using the garage door.
If you door breaks or is not functioning as it should, contact professionals for any garage door repair.
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