Garage Door Concerns as the Seasons Change

Interior of the Empty Garage of a Home — Northfield, IL — Raynor Door Company

Garage doors experience exceptional exposure to the elements because homeowners cannot protect them with trees or a porch roof like other parts of the home. A garage door must remain fully exposed to the weather to stay accessible. The environmental conditions that happen as seasons change may put these entryways more at risk of damage or breakdowns than other times of the year.

Problems With Doors

Fluctuating temperatures can cause wooden garage doors to warp. Temperature changes often mean a change in humidity levels. Doors can warp as moisture levels rise and fall. Warping can cause operation issues and damage to the door and the hardware.

A warped garage door may struggle to open or close smoothly. A warped door may stick partially open and become a home security risk. Attempting to open or close a stuck door could cause additional damage to the door or bend the track. Warped doors that continue to work can still rub against the door tracks and cause damage to the finish of the door.

Snow and ice can melt as daytime temperatures increase and refreeze as the sun goes down. Water that settles along the bottom of the garage door as it melts may freeze the door shut when the temperatures drop. A door that will not open in the morning or when arriving home after dark can make the homeowner mistakenly believe the sensor or remote is failing.

Concerns With Hardware

Melting snow combined with spring rains can expose exterior features to excessive moisture. It is also common for humidity levels to rise as the weather warms. Additional water can become a risk factor for the metal components on garage doors.

Homeowners may need to delay their usual maintenance on the exterior of their homes during winter. The delay may put metal at risk for damage. Garage door hardware like the tracks, springs, and rollers may lack lubrication. Snowplows or shovels can hit and damage the doors and hardware. The new damage could become a corrosion risk when exposed to increased moisture.

Corrosion can cause any moving parts of a garage door to fail. Older doors with years of damage may have rusted enough to become unusable or unsafe. Tracks or springs can break and cause doors to fall. A visibly rusty garage door will reduce the aesthetic appeal of the home.

Issues With Controls

Batteries in the door remote and the external keypad could become less reliable at the end of winter. Cold temperatures cause batteries to drain faster than they typically would. The batteries may last through the winter but not have the power to continue through the chilly days or nights of spring.

Sometimes the batteries may have enough power to work when the outside temperature is warm but cannot function in the cold. Owners should try fresh batteries before making other changes if they notice their remote or control pad is working sporadically.

The melting and freezing process that could cause a door to freeze shut can affect other areas too. If the sensor becomes covered with ice, it may mistakenly believe something is blocking the door and prevent it from closing. Anyone using the door may need to clean the sensors to get them to work reliably.

Certain types of weather can take their toll on a garage door. Regular service checks on the doors and the controls help keep everything operating smoothly and boost home security. At Raynor Door Company, we offer repair and replacement services. Homeowners can have a safe and operable garage door that makes their home look its best. Call us today for more information.

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