Is Your Garage Ready for Winter?

Forget whether your garage is ready, are you ready for winter?! While it comes every year, it always seems to take us by surprise. What is this strange white stuff that I need to push to the side of the driveway?

Of course, it doesn’t take long for winter to not only become familiar again but to become a long, cold chore of keeping ice and snow from your driveway and walkways.

You might not think of it this way, but your garage is often the centre of your ‘winter operations’. It’s where you keep the snowblower, shovels, and ice melter. You might plug your engine block heater into the garage outlet, store the sleds, skis, and hockey equipment, and have lots of windshield washer fluid ready to go on the shelf.

So, you’ll be in and out of the garage a lot more during the winter than only when you leave or come home in the car. That also means your garage door will get more use too. All that extra work, especially when it’s freezing outside, can increase the chance of having a problem with the door. A problem at the worst possible time, because who wants to be trying to fix a garage door in sub-zero temperatures?

Here are just a few things you can do to get your garage, and especially its door, ready for winter.

Lubricate the Door

Think about how many times your garage door operates, and then think about how many times you’ve ever lubricated it. Chances are the answers are, in order, ‘too many to count’ and ‘never’.

Using a petroleum-based lubricant for metal moving parts, like hinges, and a silicone-based lubricant for weather-stripping and seals, not only helps the garage door operate smoothly, it offers protection from the harsh weather conditions.

Check the Door’s Rollers and Tracks

Every moving part of your garage door is important, but the tracks in which the rollers on each side of the door run can be tricky. If they aren’t perfectly in line with the door, it can make opening and closing the door more difficult and eventually cause the door to jam.

To make sure your door opens and closes smoothly, disconnect the opener and operate the door manually. It should open and close with relatively little effort and work smoothly throughout the entire operation.

Always Keep the Base of the Door Clear

In addition to keeping objects inside the garage from blocking the door and/or its safety photo eyes, be sure to check the base of the door throughout the winter for the build-up of snow or ice, which can interfere with the operation of the door.

Organize Your Garage

Anticipate what you might need throughout the winter, including all your snow clearing equipment, anything you need for your car and any toys, sports equipment, etc., and put them all in an easily accessible place.

Have fuel or a recharging station handy for the snowblower. Remember that the snow and ice that clings to your snow removal equipment will probably melt in your garage. Clear off as much snow and ice as possible outside and have some rags handy to mop up any puddles that form. Make sure to store the blower and shovels in a place that, if puddles form beneath them, the water won’t drain towards anything it could damage.

The more prepared you make your garage for winter, the less of a chore it will be and the lower the chance of having a problem with its most important moving part, your garage door. If you need garage door maintenance services for your garage door, contact Upper Garage Garage Doors. Our technicians can come out to your home to ensure that your door is ready for winter!