Performing Timely Garage Door Maintenance and Repairs

Your garage door has seen many winters, and it's not unusual for the cold weather to create a few issues. Normally, these don't really harm the door, but occasionally, the problems can expand and really mess up the door's operation. It is possible that if some of these issues become bad enough, you'd have to replace the whole door.

Frozen Springs

Frozen springs don't always indicate the need to replace the door. You may need to replace the springs or redo the lubrication once it thaws, but springs that were frozen due to moisture turning to ice or to grease freezing solid may just need a little warmth. Don't force the springs to work; if they are truly stuck and you need to get out, call a residential garage door repair company for help. If you break the springs in your attempt to open the door, you could cause way more damage and make things a lot worse.

Swollen Wood Doors

Wood garage doors can swell in cold weather. Water can get into the wood and cause the wood to naturally swell up, and the water can also freeze, forming ice that expands. In either case, the swollen wood door can no longer move along the track properly, and that can cause the door to jam up. In this case, replacing the door with a material that won't absorb moisture is the way to go. Otherwise, you'll end up with repeated problems. Sealing the wood helps only so much because all it takes is one chip in the wood to allow moisture to get past the sealant.

Cracked Door Edge

When water hits the garage door, drips down, and then freezes, you end up with a frozen door that's stuck to the ground. Unfortunately, you wouldn't really know about it until you tried to open the door -- and the force could make the edge of an older door crack. There's not a lot you can do to prevent water from freezing in very cold weather, but you can replace the door with a material that won't pull apart. An old wood door can crack at the edge, but you can get doors that have steel components, too.

Winter will soon end, and you won't have to deal with ice or excess moisture for a while. Take advantage of that time to look at new garage doors that are tougher and better able to withstand cold weather.