How To Winterize Your Garage Door

 Posted on December 19, 2022 in Garage Doors

By now we know that preparing your garage for winter is essential in the Great Lake Region. However, a vital part of your garage often gets overlooked in the process. The garage door is obviously very important to the function of the structure, but most people are unaware of how to winterize it. Fortunately, Blue Sky Builders, Inc. has several suggestions to make sure your garage operates correctly all winter long.

What to Do Before Winter

There are quite a few steps you can take before winter gets too rough to guarantee that everything runs as it should.

Check Your Batteries - A faulty garage door opener is the last thing you want at the end of a cold, long work day. The batteries in most remote openers are easy to locate and replace. Consider changing them out at the start of the season if it has been a while since they were last changed.

It is also a good idea to check the battery in the external keypad if your garage has one. Unlike remotes, most keypads require a 9-volt battery. In both cases of the keypad and openers, it is beneficial to keep a set of spare batteries on hand at any given time.

Lubricate Moving Parts - Proper lubrication is important to make sure the metal parts of your door move efficiently. There are garage door-specific lubricants available that help the pieces move easily. An added bonus of using lubricants is that the freezing point of water is lowered. This makes your door freezing shut less likely. With this in mind, consider applying a bit of lubricant to the bottom strip along the door to prevent freezing between the door and the driveway.

What to Do During a Storm

Assuming you are home and can remain vigilant during snow or ice storms, there are a few steps you can take to help keep your garage functional.

• Salting or applying sand around the door
• Placing an electric heater in the garage
• Keep the driveway and area around the door clear
• Occasionally open the door and clean out any snow or ice that may be accumulating underneath

This last step is very beneficial, but be careful when opening the door. You will want to manually open it in case there is any chance of the door being frozen shut. In the event that it has frozen, using the automatic opener may not work and cause excessive strain on the motor which could potentially burn it out.

Be Ready All Winter Long With Our Downers Grove Custom Garage Builders!

Through all types of weather, ourDuPage County garage renovation experts are prepared to make sure you stay safe and prepared. Make a call to 630-852-8485 today and let Blue Sky Builders, Inc. get you through winter.