Winter Garage Door Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Garage Door Operating Properly

Like the motto for the U.S. Postal Service, neither rain nor snow will prevent our technicians at Gerald Giel Garage Doors from making a service call.

In wintry weather, the number one issue we see is due to icy conditions when a car slides in an icy driveway and damages a homeowner’s garage door. Even if the car isn’t going at a high rate of speed, the sheer weight of the car can inflict damage. Depending on the severity of the accident, a section or two may need to be replaced or maybe the door has been knocked off track. Whatever the issue, we’ve seen it all and repaired both minor and major damage caused by a vehicle that couldn’t stop in time.

There are a number of winter garage door maintenance measures that homeowners can take to head off trouble and keep their garage door working properly in the winter months.

While the obvious first step is to try to keep your driveway free of snow and ice. Keeping ice and snow build-up away from the threshold of your door can help your garage door opener from becoming damaged trying to pull a frozen stuck door out of the ice.
Before the snow starts, lubricate the moving parts. Use A-1 oil, not a spray lubricant like WD-40, which contains alcohol and will dry out the bearings. If the parts are well-lubricated ahead of time, the door should run smoothly in the coldest weather.
Try spreading a little sand or salt in your driveway before the storm starts. This can help your car maintain good traction and may prevent a sliding accident.
A lot of people keep their snow shovels or snowblowers in their garage. This can present a problem if the garage door won’t go up. If you know a major storm is coming, be ready by keeping your snow removal equipment accessible.
After the storm, sweep the snow, ice, and salt away from the threshold of your garage to prevent accumulation where the door meets the concrete. In bitter cold weather, even a relatively small amount of snow or ice can freeze the door to the ground.

At Gerald Giel Garage Doors, we have garage doors in stock. If you happen to slide into your door we can replace or repair it quickly. If you need us we can be reached at (724) 287-1673.