If you live or work in Littleton, Arapahoe County, or anywhere else in Colorado, you don’t need us to tell you that winters here can be brutal. With an average annual snowfall of between 60 inches and 100 inches and average temperatures that range from 16° F to 54° F, the winter weather in Colorado can be challenging not just for us but for our homes and vehicles too. Experience has taught us that we really must winterize our cars before the coldest days arrive but many people forget their garage doors need some love and attention too if they are to make it through the winter unscathed.
If you would like to ensure that your garage door is still in great condition by the time the flowers of the ubiquitous Golden Currant appear next year, simply follow the tips in this guide, which our garage door installation and repair team has put together for you.
How to Prepare Your Garage Door for the Cold Weather
Prepping your garage door for the winter weather is not a difficult task but it is important to follow all of the suggestions below if you want to ensure that it continues to work flawlessly throughout the coldest months of the year. Whatever type of overhead door you have, these tips will help you to protect it from whatever Mother Nature may have in store for us over the next few months.
- Inspect Your Door, Tracks, and Opening Mechanism – Before we start a garage door repair in Littleton, we always perform a full inspection and we recommend you do the same when prepping your door for the winter. Inspect the door itself, looking out for any damage or deterioration in the surface, as well as the tracks. Once you have done this, open and close the door a few times whilst watching and listening carefully. If you see anything unusual or hear any strange noises, now is the time to have your door serviced so it doesn’t break down completely in the middle of the winter. If it is in such poor condition that repair is not an option, you can search for ‘garage door installers near me’ and request quotations for a replacement.
- Lubricate Moving Parts – Ice, salt, and grime are no friend to garage door opening mechanisms, which is why we recommend applying a high-quality lubricant to all moving parts before winter sets in. With a spray lubricant, you can easily reach all the parts you need to protect, including the bearings, hinges, and springs. If you don’t have a spray lubricant handy, you may use engine oil instead. However, don’t apply grease to any of the moving parts as it will attract all manner of dust, dirt and grime very quickly.
- Inspect the Seals and Weather Strips – The seal that is attached to the bottom of your door is designed to stop water, snow and ice from making its way inside your garage. If it is damaged or worn out, it will not be able to perform this function properly and should be replaced. Check your seal carefully and if you think it needs replacing, you can either do the job yourself or call our garage door repair team and make an appointment for them to come and do it for you. You should also check the weather strips, which run along the top and sides of your garage door, on the inside. If these are either damaged or missing, make sure you replace them as soon as possible.
- Look for Gaps Between the Door and the Frame – Gaps between your garage door and doorframe will let in cold air, snow and water in the winter. With this in mind, we suggest checking all around the frame carefully and filling any gaps you find with latex caulk or silicone sealant. If you would rather not do this yourself, a competent handyman in your local area should be able to help.
- Invest in an Insulation Kit if Necessary – If you’re winterizing a brand new door that has recently been installed, you probably won’t have to worry about this step as it will already be well insulated. However, if you have an older door, you like to consider buying an insulation kit designed especially for garage doors. An alternative to buying a dedicated kit is to invest in some quality insulation boarding or bubble foil insulation and fix this to the interior surface of your door.
- Check Whether the Area Immediately in Front of the Door Is Level – If you recently hired us to complete a new garage door installation in Littleton, this is something our team will already have checked but if not, we recommend inspecting the surface immediately in front of your garage door to make sure it is level. If it is not, water may pool in the area and freeze, and could damage the bottom seal when the door is closed. If you spot a problem with the surface and you are unable to fix it before winter arrives, make sure you inspect the area every day and brush any standing snow or water away before it has a chance to freeze and damage the seal.
If you have any questions about prepping your door for the winter or you would like to request a quotation for a garage door repair in Littleton, please feel free to contact us by phone or email right now.