As the cold weather rolls through Vancouver Island, it changes the way that your garage door functions. There are many problems that can be accelerated by the changes in the weather and here are the top 4 problems we see over the winter here in Nanaimo.
1. Ice
Ice can be a very destructive force. With the cold nights that we experience here on the island, ice can form around your garage door. During the day that ice will thaw and create pockets of moisture which will then re-freeze overnight. If your garage door does not open, this could be the problem. Do not try forcing it, you could cause more damage if you try and open a frozen garage door.
2. Frozen Wood
Wood doors can hold a lot of moisture, generally caused by poor installation or improper care (or both). Double wide doors can hold up to 30 KG of water during our wet winter. This extra weight creates a lot of stress on your doors torsion system (springs) and opener. And when freezing occurs, the problems intensify.
3. Broken Metal
In cold weather metal contracts and this stress can cause metal items in your garage door system to break. These parts of your garage door may have already been at risk of failure, but the cold accelerates the wear and tear on those parts. The stress of the freezing and thawing is why we see more broken springs in the winter than other months. This is a fix that should only be done by a trained professional.
4. Broken Plastic
The cold weather also takes a toll on the plastic parts of your garage door. Just like metal, the changing temperatures make wears the plastic and makes it more brittle.
All components of your garage door system can snap or break more easily in the winter. It isn’t easy to tell when these parts are at the end of their life. The best thing to do is have regular maintenance on your garage door and if you discover a broken, bent or misshapen element of your garage door system, give Steven a call and we can ensure the safety and functionality of your door.
Stay warm this winter!