Tips to Help Your Garage Door Operate During the Winter

The cold days of winter are now sweeping across the nation. Much of this country is experiencing below freezing weather, heavy snowfalls, and freezing wind chills.

Winter's cold air seems to effect nearly everything. Cars are harder to start in cold weather, doors and windows can stick shut, your home's interior is effected by the reduced humidity, and even people show negative effects caused by the cold winter air.

Most homeowners have a garage and a garage is a great place to store your car overnight during the cold winter months. The garage protects your vehicle from the harsh elements and keeps snow and ice off of your car. However, there is one problem with a garage and more specifically with the garage door. As the cold weather sets in, garage doors tend to operate erratically. They are hampered by the cold weather and freezing conditions. Their functionality can be sporadic during the winter months and sometimes the door will even become nonoperational.

There are several tips to follow to ensure that your garage door will operate as expected even during the coldest days of the year. By following the tips below, you will be able to utilize your garage throughout the winter without a concern about its functionality.

Always lubricate all moving parts. This tip cannot be stressed enough. Use a high quality lubricant specifically designed for garage doors. Spray liberally on all rollers, bushings, and hinges. Ensure that you coat the garage door track with lubricant and even make sure that you apply lubricant between each door section.. The door section tend to stick together in cold weather. The lubricant allows each individual door section to release and move freely as the garage door is opened and close.

Use the garage door on a daily basis. Even if you do not need to open the door to remove a vehicle from within the garage it is still important to operate the door every day. This prevent the door from freezing shut and will contribute to reliable operation all winter long.

Check the drive track for obstructions and lubricate as suggested in your owners manual. Make sure that you only lubricant as suggested in the manual. Some garage door openers require no lubrication to the drive track system while other require periodic lubrication. Most importantly, inspect the track for any problems. This visual check can ensure smooth operation.

If you garage door fail to open with the automatic opener, disconnect the opener and open it manually. Once you have opened it manually once or twice, reconnect the opener to the door and it will once again be operational. By manually opening the door you will free up the door and it should continue to function properly again.

By following the tips listed above, your garage door will remain operational throughout the coldest days of winter. These few simple steps will only take a few minutes of your time and following these steps will make your garage door opener operate for years to come.