Preparing Your Garage Door for Winter: Essential Tips
2025-01-10 6 min read
Why Winter Prep Matters
New York winters are tough on garage doors. Cold temperatures, ice, snow, and salt can all affect your garage door's performance and lifespan. A little preparation before winter hits can prevent inconvenient breakdowns and costly repairs.
At Manchester Garage Doors, we serve homeowners throughout the Rochester area, Canandaigua, Geneva, and surrounding communities. We know firsthand how brutal upstate New York winters can be on garage door systems. Here's how to protect your investment.
Inspect and Replace Weatherstripping
The weatherstripping along the bottom and sides of your garage door creates a seal against the elements. Over time, this rubber seal cracks, hardens, and loses effectiveness.
How to Check, Look for visible cracks or gaps, Feel for drafts when the door is closed, Check if the seal touches the ground evenly
Replacing worn weatherstripping is an affordable fix that can significantly improve energy efficiency and keep snow and cold air out. Our Manchester technicians can install commercial-grade weatherstripping that lasts through multiple harsh winters.
Lubricate All Moving Parts
Cold weather can cause metal components to contract and lubricants to thicken. Before winter arrives:
- Apply silicone-based lubricant to: - Rollers (especially nylon rollers) - Hinges at every pivot point, Springs (both extension and torsion types) - Tracks (sparingly, wipe excess) - Lock mechanisms
Important: Avoid using WD-40 as your primary lubricant.it's actually a solvent that can strip away protective oils. Use products specifically designed for garage doors, or ask our team for recommendations.
Test the Balance
An unbalanced door puts extra strain on your opener, which can lead to premature failure.especially in cold weather when everything is working harder.
How to Test
1. Disconnect the opener (pull the release cord) 2. Manually lift the door halfway (about 3-4 feet) 3. Release it gently 4. A balanced door should stay in place
If your door slides up or down, the springs need adjustment. Warning: Spring adjustment is dangerous and should only be performed by professionals like our Manchester Garage Doors technicians due to the high tension involved.
Check the Opener Battery Backup
Power outages are common during winter storms. If your opener has a battery backup:
- Test it before winter by disconnecting power and trying the opener, Replace batteries if they're more than 2-3 years old, Know how to manually operate your door in case of extended outages
Clear the Area
Before the first snowfall: - Remove debris from tracks, Clear the area around the door for snow removal access, Ensure snow removal equipment is accessible, Consider installing a garage door threshold seal for added protection
Inspect Springs and Cables
Cold weather makes springs more brittle and prone to breaking. Look for: - Rust or corrosion (more common after road salt exposure) - Gaps in the spring coils (signs of stretching) - Frayed or damaged cables, Signs of wear at attachment points
Spring failure in winter means you could be stuck with a non-functional garage door on the coldest day of the year. Our emergency service team at Manchester Garage Doors is available 24/7, but prevention is always better.
Schedule a Professional Tune-Up
The best winter preparation is a professional inspection and tune-up from Manchester Garage Doors. Our technicians: - Check all safety features, Adjust springs and tension, Lubricate all components with professional-grade products, Identify potential problems before they become emergencies, Test opener functionality and battery backup
A fall tune-up is a small investment that can prevent major winter headaches. Call us today at (585) 460-4910 to schedule your pre-winter maintenance appointment.