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Contractors Can Improve Your Home

Hello! I would like to give you the warmest welcome to my blog. My name is Pete and last year, I decided to carry out some home improvements. Somewhat foolishly, I decided to try and carry out the work myself. As you can imagine, it was a bit of a disaster as I do not have many skills. Thankfully, I have a friend who works in the construction and contracting service. He called in some of his friends who were able to come in and fix up the mess I had made. I am really pleased with the results so I thought I would write about it here.

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Contractors Can Improve Your Home

3 Common Garage Door Problems Experienced During Winter

by Regina Barnett

Winter is marked by freezing cold, chilly wind, snow and lots of moisture. These elements are destructive to most structures. The garage door is particularly susceptible to damage owing to the fact that it is part of the building envelope. 

To prepare the door for the dreaded winter season, consider doing the following.

1. Damage to Weather Stripping

The weather stripping is essentially a rubber proofing seal that insulates the interior from the outside elements. In the winter, it keeps the cold, water and snow from creeping into the garage. For this reason, it is installed on the lower base of the door while keeping the warm air inside. 

During winter, water freezes along the lower end of the door, as well as ice accumulation. Attempts to open the door can tear or damage the strip. Also, stripping tends to age with time, especially considering the effects of the summer heat and UV rays on rubber, making it susceptible to cracking.

Regularly check the state of your strip. Clear the water and debris from the seal before it freezes. Also, if the effects of aging are profound, replace the strip before winter commences. It will save you a lot in terms of heating costs.

2. Contractions

Metal contracts at low temperature. Even in cases where the door is made out of other materials, chances are a number of components such as springs, railing and fasteners are metallic. This leads to a number of garage door issues including the following:

  • Cracked remote sensors
  • Faulty/Broken Springs: these hamper the functionality of the door, and can turn out to be risky as they keep the door balanced and easy to operate. You wouldn't want the heavy door to collapse on you or your car after a failure.
  • Bent or broken rails result in door jamming or inability to open or close.

For issues caused by contraction, ensure you contact a professional garage door technician as the risks are high.

3. Lubrication Issues

A garage door has many moving parts, and optimal functionality of the door depends on the smooth running of the moving parts. While most doors work well during the warmer days, the presence of grease over the winter months sometimes does not help, as it tends to become heavy and thick under low temperatures. 

One option is to replace the grease with silicone spray or white lithium grease which tends to stay put in low temperatures. Consult a garage repair technician on the best lubricant to the different moving parts over winter.

Winter takes a toll on many sections of the building, including the garage door. Proper maintenance is required to keep the various parts of the door in good working condition. Also, winterise your garage by having it checked just before winter sets in. This includes proper lubrication and replacement of worn-out parts. Always enlist the help of a professional garage door service when it comes to garage door maintenance and repair.

 

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