With the first day of Winter a week away, now is a good time to make sure your home is ready for the coldest days of the year. One area of the house that’s often forgotten about during winter checkups is your garage doors. Without proper winterization, your garage doors will not only let the cold invade your garage and your home, but it also lets in snow, insects, or autumn debris.
To set your garage up for success this winter, we’re outlining the top ways to winterize your garage doors!
There are three key elements that need to be checked on with your overhead doors each year before winter rolls around. Those are as follows:
- The Insulation
- The Weather Stripping
- The Lubrication
The first thing that most people notice in the winter is weak insulation. Insulation can degrade over time. Once that starts happening, you will start to feel a breeziness that needs to be fixed. However, even if your insulation is holding up well and doesn’t need to be replaced, it is important to also check the weather stripping. A garage door will have weather stripping that helps seal the door on the bottom and the sides. It needs to be inspected regularly. When weather stripping needs to be replaced, it will start to manifest cracks and may even become somewhat crumbly.
If you’re in the market for a new garage door, you’re in luck as far as the above is concerned. Newer models of garage doors are often equipped with levels of insulation that older doors can’t compete with. Pair fresh insulation with new weatherstripping, and you’ll have a garage door that fights the cold as well as it fights the heat. This also helps to lower your energy costs – as the temperature of your garage won’t be leaking into your adjacent rooms.
Finally, lubrication is a task that needs to be done at least once a year. You want all the parts in your garage door to keep moving smoothly, even in winter. You also want to make sure that the right lubrication is used. Some general lubricants are not suitable for cold weather and can impede function. If you are choosing garage door-specified lubricant from the hardware store, you should be fine in most cases. Before winter, it is best to give all your garage door’s moving parts a quick spray with lubricant to help it get through the colder months.
As the garage door experts of Richmond, VA, A1 Door Company is no stranger to the cold weather. You can rely on us for excellent service and quality door options. Give us a call today to learn more!
