Prepare Your Garage Door for Winter with These Tips

4 February 2016
 Categories: , Blog


As winter approaches, you need to make sure that your garage door is properly winterized to prevent icy cold air from pouring in. Moreover, winterizing the door will protect it from the worst elements of winter, including freezing rain, ice, or snow that can seep into your garage as well. Unprotected garage doors may also be prime entryways for insects and other pests. Therefore, if you winterize your garage door just in time for winter, you can stay more comfortably, reduce your energy costs, and protect the door. Here are a few tips on how to make that happen.

Weather-stripping

Weather-stripping usually creates a seal between your garage door and its door opening. However, the weather stripping can become brittle with time and crack, allowing air to penetrate between your door and the frame, which would eventually lead to cold drafts. Therefore, you need to fix or replace the weather stripping, meaning you need to inspect for worn areas or gaps first.

For energy-efficient and effective garage doors, you need to seal any gaps. Consider PVC stop moulding because it is among the best options for sealing the sides and tops of garage doors. It is also durable, which means this option is long-lasting.

Insulation

If you have uninsulated garage doors, you should consider insulating them before winter. This is because your garage door loses warmth by conduction across the door surface. Since the amount of warmth lost may be a lot, your garage temperature can go down close to the outdoor temperatures, which would be unpleasant over the course of winter especially if you live in an area that experiences extremely low temperatures. Consider using foam board for insulation because it has a relatively high insulating power. For extra protection or insulation, you can consider the installation of two layers.

Lubrication of Metal Parts

Locate and lubricate all metallic parts on your door: springs, rollers, and tracks. Avoid using grease, particularly on the tracks because the rollers have to roll rather than slide in the track. Instead, use oil-based lubricants. Lubrication is important because the winter moisture and cold weather may often lead to problems with stuck doors or moving parts.

While lubricating however, check for other issues such as rust on springs among other wear and tear signs. In addition, ensure that you remove any accumulated grime or grit in the tracks so that you start your winter with a clean and efficient garage door opening system.


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