The cold weather can cause any number of problems around the house so it is always good to stay on top of things during winter to prevent damages or even injuries. And your garage door is not excluded from this, as it can sometimes refuse to open when it is especially cold outside. So whether you have experienced this in the past or are worried about it happening the first time, there are a few things you can try yourself to get the door to open before needing to call a professional.
First, try to open the door manually, in case the opener is the actual problem. With the garage door closed, you can disconnect the opener and attempt to push up the door on your own. As you open it, listen and check for any sticking points, which is the sign of grease build up and can be fixed easily with some cleaning. You might also want to lubricate all the hinges and joints so that they can move smoothly.
While you’re at it, check for broken springs. If the door feels especially heavy while you are lifting it manually, this might be a broken spring and you will need to call a professional to fix it for you.
Once you’ve crossed the opener and springs off the list as possible culprits, it is time to see if the cold winter really is the problem. In colder temperatures, the metal pieces can contract and shrink which can cause a misalignment. Check to see that everything is correctly aligned and in place and also make sure to lubricate them so that they can move easily. The tracks themselves can become warped in extreme temperatures as well. But if you believe this to be the problem, call a professional immediately and do not attempt to fix this on your own.
Another consequence of colder weather is the hardening of grease. If this is the reason why your garage door won’t open, remove the old grease with a grease solvent and make sure to be thorough to get everything out of small cracks with a small brush. Wipe away the excess solvent and apply new lubricant.
Preventative maintenance is always a good idea so to keep these problems from happening in the first place, make sure to keep all moving parts lubricated, apply a solvent to rollers, tracks, hinges, and latches, and keep all parts clean.
If nothing seems to work, call a professional immediately to handle the problem. Garage doors and all the parts that work them can be dangerous if mishandled and we always advise leaving it to the experts. So if you can’t get your door to work properly this winter, call Precision and we will get your garage working in no time!
