Winterizing Your Garage Door

After investing a substantial amount of money into your garage, you probably want to find strategies to preserve your investment. Unfortunately, most homeowners entirely neglect maintaining their garage door. As a result, homeowners regularly have to replace their garage door systems to compensate for this damage. In the long-run, a poorly maintained garage door system can be much more expensive than the cost of routine maintenance. Before the winter comes, it is especially important for homeowners to get their garage door systems ready. This will evaluate how homeowners can winterize their garage door systems.

1. Install a Weather Seal
Homeowners should install a weather seal around their garage door. This will prevent the cold winter air from getting inside of the garage. Unfortunately, most homeowners neglect this important maintenance step. The reason why this is so important is due to the cold weather’s natural ability to warp garage doors. When garage doors warp, gaps that enable cold air to leak out can be created. As a result, homeowners have to pay additional money every year in heating bills. To prevent these problems, homeowners should install a weather seal along the perimeter of their garage door every year.

2. Add a Heater
The potential harm caused by garage door warping can be somewhat mitigated by adding a heater. Homeowners with a warm garage are less likely to see their garage door systems damaged due to extreme weather. By doing this, homeowners can also enjoy stepping into a warm car each morning. On the coldest winter days, this can be an enjoyable luxury that few homeowners get to enjoy. Best of all, this can also save money on garage door maintenance.

3. Insulate Your Garage
Since heat is so important to garage door systems, adding insulation can be a great way to save money. Homeowners should make sure that they install sufficient insulation inside of all walls in their garage. This will prevent warm air from leaking outside. Homeowners who have not yet purchased a garage door should also consider insulated garage doors. In recent years, these have started to become available due to the high demand for energy efficient products.

4. Check for Loose Hinges
Homeowners who live in cold climates should make sure that they regularly inspect their garage doors for loose hinges. When temperatures change, intense physical stress can be placed on the hinges of a garage door. Over time, this can cause hinges to crack or break. Therefore, homeowners should make a habit of inspecting their garage door’s hinges every year before the winter. By doing this, homeowners can prevent catastrophic damage that could be caused by a garage door collapsing on top of their car.

5. Work with a Professional
It is also recommended for homeowners to regularly have their garage doors inspected by a professional. This will help to ensure that potential damage is fixed before it becomes a severe problem. During the coldest months of the year, homeowners do not want to be left without a garage door. Therefore, homeowners should make sure that they work with a professional to keep their garage door system working properly.

Sources:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/improvement/interior/4-ways-to-protect-your-garage-from-winter-16093492
https://ohdcorp.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/10-ways-to-winterize-your-garage/

Tips For Winterizing Your Garage Door