Issues With Your Garage Door? It Could Be the Weather
If you own a garage in Portland, you know how convenient it can be. While your neighbors scrape ice off of their windows in the morning, you can directly back out of your garage and head to work. Instead of worrying about slipping on the ice while carrying an armload of groceries, you can walk right into your home. However, all of that convenience goes out of the window when your garage door starts acting up. We’ve put together a list of some of the most common issues for garage doors in the winter and what you should watch out for to prevent garage door repairs or replacements.
Most Common Winter Garage Door Problems
Watch out for any of the following issues that affect garage doors during the winter. Call a professional garage door technician at All About Doors in Portland for all of your garage door needs, including maintenance and repair!
1. Contracting Metal
While a garage door’s operation is relatively straightforward, there are a lot of moving parts that are necessary to its function. Many of the garage door’s pieces consist of metal, and when temperatures dip, metal contracts. While the garage door itself may not consist entirely of metal, some of its components certainly are. If any of the screws, springs, or rails contract as a result of winter weather, you may see issues with the operation of your garage door.
One of the most common winter garage door problems is broken springs, and the change in temperature is the most likely cause of this issue during cold weather. One way to ensure your garage door doesn’t have this problem throughout the winter is to perform ongoing garage door maintenance (or hire a professional, such as an experienced technician from All About Doors in Portland) and apply high-quality lubricant to the metal parts.
2. Damage to the Garage Door’s Weatherstripping
Another common issue for garage doors in the winter is the weatherstripping. Weatherstripping along the bottom of your garage door keeps cold air out of the garage while keeping the warm air inside of it. Over time, weatherstripping ages and may harden or crack. This hardening may compromise the seal, which will increase utility costs. Make sure to check the garage door’s weatherstripping often to avoid wasting money on increased gas or electric bills due to the loss of heat in the home.
3. Iced-Up Garage Door Panels
If you notice any of these issues with your garage door this winter, call All About Doors in Portland!
4. Garage Door Opener Sensor Damage
Another issue common to the winter includes problems with the remote sensor for the garage door opener. Sometimes they crack during low temperatures. If you suspect that your remote sensor is damaged, make sure to call a trained technician to address the issues.
How To Diagnose Winter Garage Door Problems
Unsure what’s wrong with your garage door this winter? We put together this quick guide to help you decipher what might be going wrong with your garage door:
1. Check the Remote
The first thing to do when you realize your garage door is having trouble opening is to check the remote. The problem may be related to cold weather, but it also may be due to something as simple as dead batteries in your remote control! If you change the batteries and you’re still having trouble, it’s time to move on to the next step.
2. Try to Open the Door Manually
Disconnect the garage door from the lift mechanism. Look for a red handle.
If the Garage Door Feels Heavy
If the garage door feels heavy when you attempt to lift it, the springs may be worn or broken. The springs offer counterweight, which should allow you to lift the door easily. Do not ever attempt to repair garage door springs alone. Thousands of people find themselves in the hospital every year due to garage door-related injuries.
If the Garage Door Sticks
If the garage door doesn’t feel heavy, but it seems to be sticking at some points, you may have an issue with the lubrication on your metal track. As mentioned before, low temperatures during the winter can result in metal parts contracting. It’s also possible that the garage door’s lubrication is unevenly distributed. Contact a professional to come to look at the garage door to accurately diagnose and repair the problem.
If the Garage Door Opens Easily By Hand
Unfortunately, if you’re having issues with your garage door, but it opens fine by hand, this likely means you have a problem with the garage door’s motor. Do not attempt to fix the motor on your own. Instead, call an experienced technician from All About Doors in Portland.
How Can All About Doors Help?
Tigard Door Co. was founded in the summer of 1988 by Loy “Tex” Nix as a local garage door service company. After working on garage doors in Portland for many years for Crawford Door Co., Tex, with the assistance of his wife Marsha, set out on their own by offering service to the local community and the immediate surrounding areas. Eventually, their son Dave, a master installer, joined them in the business.
When Tex retired and Dave took over the business in 2004, he wanted a broader focus for the company and changed the name to All About Doors Inc. All About Doors firmly stands behind the products that we sell. Through the years we have tried and tested all types of garage door products. Our mission is to educate the customer and advise them to make the right decision on all products that will fit their need as well as their budget. We will not sell or install any product that we do not believe in. If you think your garage door needs repair, call us today at All About Doors!