When it is cold and snowing outside the last thing you want to come home to is a garage door that won’t open. As we approach winter now is the ideal time to take care of your door and avoid being left out in the cold. By following these three easy steps you and your garage door will be prepared for winter.
The first step is to clean the exterior of the door. To do this you will need to a mix a mild detergent, such as dawn, with water and clean the door as you would your car, making sure to rinse thoroughly. Once the door is clean you will want to apply car wax to help protect it from acid rain, rust and the sun, not to mention adding a nice sleek finish.
You will then need to clean the weather stripping at the bottom of the door. Using a cloth and all-purpose cleaner, remove any dirt and rinse with water. As you are cleaning the weather stripping it is also important to look for areas that may need to be replaced due to cracking. If there are cracks or tears in the weather stripping it allows for snow and cold weather drafts to come inside.
If your garage door has windows you will also want to make sure the seals are tight around the frames, if not then frost will get between the window panes as temperatures reach freezing.
Lastly it is time to move to the inside of the garage where all the moving parts are located that are essential to the functioning of the garage door. With a cloth remove the grease build-up from the track and rollers. Once the grease has been removed lubricate the rollers, hinges and track with regular grade machine oil making sure to wipe away any excess oil with a cloth.
Make a routine of cleaning your door at least twice a year to ensure it functions and looks as good as the day it was installed. And with the proper care and maintenance your door is sure to last for years to come.