It’s true that the weather in San Diego isn’t as cold as other parts of the country. However, it can still get chilly overnight during the fall and winter months with temperatures dipping into the 40s Fahrenheit at times. Therefore, it’s important to keep an eye on your garage door to ensure that the temperatures aren’t causing any issues.
Lubricant Can Thicken
Multiple garage door parts are lubricated to ensure that the door can open and close without issue. However, as the weather gets colder, there is a chance that lubricant can become thick and make it harder for the door to operate properly. You may notice that the door jams or makes odd noises when it opens or closes if key parts aren’t greased properly.
An easy way to test existing lubrication is to open the garage door manually. If you see or hear anything unusual, it’s probably time for new lubricant. Ideally, you’ll check the viscosity of a given product before it’s applied to make sure that it can handle the temperatures that you might experience on a regular basis.
The Photo Eye May Not Work Properly
Another potential issue is the fact that the photo eye might either stop working or become confused about what it sees. The photo eye’s sensors sit on either side of the garage door a few inches from the ground. There are two reasons for this, and in either scenario, a faulty photo eye might prevent your garage door from coming all the way down.
The first issue is that the eye might consider lubricant that has hardened on door springs or other parts to be a foreign object. Ultimately, the eye won’t let the door close because it thinks that the lubricant is an obstacle that the door should avoid.
The second potential issue is that the eye might become fogged overnight as the temperature gets closer to the dew point. In rare cases, you might even get little beads of water on the eye sensor. Although it shouldn’t cause any long-term damage, it might make it harder to close the door at night.
In some cases, you can resolve the issue by wiping the sensor dry or by having old lubricant replaced. Of course, depending on the age of the sensors and other factors, you might need to have a professional replace the eye or other door components.
Metal May Expand and Contract
Although this typically only happens when temperatures get closer to freezing, there is a chance that colder weather will cause metal to expand or contract. This may result in tracks or other metal components warping or otherwise becoming larger or smaller than they should be. Ultimately, you won’t be able to open or close the garage door either manually or with the use of an electronic opener.
The Garage Door Might Incur Water Damage
It may be cold enough for frost to form on the garage door’s panels. If it rains late in the day, the chilly air might not be strong enough to help the panels dry before nightfall. Ultimately, you’ll deal with a door that has moisture on it for several hours at a time.
Eventually, the cumulative impact of the moisture may cause mold or mildew growth to occur and potentially spread throughout the garage. It may also cause weakness in the panels or create conditions in which the panels can’t bend or flex. An inability to bend or flex means that the door isn’t going to be able to lift.
Furthermore, an extremely wet door may be a prime target for pests who are looking for an easy meal. It may also be attractive to insects or rodents who want both a meal and to create a shortcut into your house.
Springs May Become Weak and Defective Over Time
Springs may become brittle or weak when exposed to cold weather on a regular basis. You can test the springs by opening the garage door manually and looking to see if the door comes down on its own or not. If it does, you know that there are problems with the springs, in which case you’ll need the springs replaced.
What Can You Do to Protect Your Door?
While you can’t control the weather outside, there are steps that you can take to keep your garage and garage door as warm as possible. First, you might want to consider installing an insulated door on your home. This type of product will do a better job of keeping warm air in during the winter season and allowing hot air to escape during the summer months.
However, you may find that it’s easier to insulate the entire garage in an effort to prevent issues related to cold weather. By regulating the temperature in this space, you may find that it costs less to heat and cool the rest of the house. It may also reduce wear and tear on your home’s heating and cooling systems to add insulation to garage floors, walls or ceilings.
How to Protect the Garage Against Excess Moisture
Although rain is relatively uncommon in San Diego outside of the winter season, it doesn’t mean that your home can’t be vulnerable to water damage. You can protect your garage against water damage by making sure that your home’s gutters are properly installed and free of debris.
Doing so can help to ensure that water runs away from your property instead of back toward the house itself. In addition to keeping the garage and all of its components protected, managing moisture runoff can protect the home’s foundation as well.
Older Doors Tend to Be More Vulnerable
It makes sense that an older door might be more vulnerable to damage than a newer one as it has spent more time exposed to the elements. Typically, a garage door will last anywhere from 15 to 30 years, depending on how well it was constructed, installed and maintained.
However, you also have to keep in mind that various components that work with the door have their own useful lives. For example, garage door springs tend to last for about 10,000 cycles. Therefore, you could be at risk of spring damage in cold weather even if the door is new or has been recently inspected.
Track lubricant is designed to last for about three to six months, but this may vary significantly depending on the type of product that you use. If you haven’t put new lubricant on this season or in the past several years, it may be time to schedule an appointment to have that done.
If you are in need of garage door maintenance, repair, or replacement services, give the team at ADS Automatic Door Specialists a call today. You can also get help with new springs, a garage door opener or assistance with any other garage issues you’re struggling with to ensure that your home runs at peak efficiency throughout the year.
