Winter is a wonderful time of the year, filled with festivities, food, and family. But when it comes to weather, the cold can give you a run for your money. Here in Saskatoon where cold weather is a regular occurrence, you know that you can’t let the cold stop you from getting your day rolling. One of the biggest inconveniences is when cold weather messes with the functionality of a garage door. This can make it extremely taxing or sometimes impossible to get out on the road on time in the morning.
Lubrication Is Your Friend in Cold Weather
There are several reasons why cold weather can be so detrimental to your door. Metal is a material that contracts when it is exposed to cold. So the metal parts in the system get smaller in cold weather and this causes them to get stuck, and seize up. This is typically the most common issue encountered.
If this is the problem, you can put some lubricant on the parts and this will usually get them moving again. Adding lubrication is also a good idea if your door, although perhaps working properly, has become very creaky and noisy.
Service with Silicone
Ironically enough, your door might not be working because it previously did have lubrication. When using lubrication on your doors, it is important to use a silicone based lubricant. This is because silicone lubricants are less likely to freeze and cause garage doors to get stuck. Feel free to call us for specific recommendations.
Some types of lubricants, like grease, although they do a good job getting things loose, are not ideal for use in cold weather because they have the potential to freeze and harden themselves. If this is your problem, you might need to gather tools for removing grease, such as a solvent to break it down and small brushes and wipes to get it off. Our technicians have a lot of experience in this area if you think you will need some help properly maintaining your door.
Check Your System
Other reasons that your door might be getting stuck or has stopped working is because something is broken in the system. Most systems will move on a set of tracks and rollers that bring the door in and out. Cold weather may have caused these tracks and rollers to wear down, become misaligned somehow, become warped from temperature, or maybe just break. If the track that the door moves on isn’t quite clear, then the door will have difficulty completing its sliding movement all the way up or all the way down.
The springs of the system also may be broken. This isn’t uncommon, as the springs will eventually wear out with use. But if you find yourself facing any of these issues of broken/misaligned parts, you will want the help of a professional repair person.
Trust Your Garage Door Functionality to Lux Overhead Door
If you are using one of our products, or even a product installed or supplied by someone else, and you encounter any of the problems mentioned above don’t hesitate to go to contact us. We have the knowledge and experience to get your door working again, and we are always willing to help!