Top 5 Garage Door Issues during Cold Weather – Denver Tips

Waking up to drive by the Rockies with a blanket of new snow is the bestthing about residing in Denver. Not so great? Rushing off to the opera only tofind your garage door frozen in place and/or refusing to open. Colorado's coldcan be heartless, and your garage door is the first to know it.

As the local Denver garage door business, we've personally seen how winterweather can decimate all elements of the system. Don't get stuck out in thecold prior to addressing these top five wintertime garage door problems andsolutions.

1. Sluggish Operation due to Frozen Grease

Like molasses, the lubricating grease applied to your door's chain, rollers,and tracks becomes thick and gummy when it is cold. When this happens, yourgarage door opener must work a lot harder to push and pull the door, causing ajerky, slow motion or halting it altogether.

Denver Tip: Avoid using heavy greases like WD-40 on your tracks. Use a good,silicone-based garage door lubricant instead. It is formulated to work even incold temperatures. If the door continues to have issues, it may be time to havea professional cleaning and lubricating performed.

2. Metal Parts Contracting

Basic physics also tells us that metal shrinks as it cools. Your garage doorsystem is filled with metal pieces—springs, screws, tracks, and rollers. Whenthese components shrink in Denver cold weather, they can cause tracks to buckleand put enormous tension on the entire system. You may notice extra squeaking,grinding, or groaning sounds. This extra tension is one of the biggest culpritsbehind more serious problems.

3. The Loud BANG: A Broken Torsion Spring

It is the most common and dangerous winter garage door failure. Your torsionsprings' metal becomes brittle in cold weather. Toss in the additional stressof contracting components and heavy grease, and the high tension can shatter aspring.

Signs of a Broken Spring:

You are met with a very loud BANG from the garage.

You can notice a noticeable gap in the spring above the door.

The motor of the opener operates, but the door will not lift.

Warning: Safety if you believe that you have a broken garage door springin Denver, DO NOT try to open or repair the door yourself. These springs areunder extremely high tension and are very dangerous. This is something thatneeds to be done by a professional. Call for an emergency garage door repair inDenver immediately to get it replaced professionally.

4. Your Door is Frozen to the Concrete

It's a Colorado dilemma: snow on your car melts, runs down the garage door,and then the night turns cold. That water freezes, bonding your rubber weatherseal at the garage door's bottom to the concrete driveway. When you push thebutton on the opener, the motor will fight this seal and may burn out or stripgears.

Denver Tip: Never try to pry the door open with the opener. Carefullypour lukewarm water down the bottom seal to melt the ice. To prevent it fromhappening again, make sure the area is clear of snow and ice when closing yourdoor at night.

5. Brittle and Cracked Weather-stripping

Your vinyl or rubber weather seal at the bottom of your door is yourprotection against cold air, snow, and wind. In very cold weather, this sealcan become hardened, cracked, and brittle. A compromised seal not only allowscold air into your garage and increases your heating bill, but it also welcomesrodents and insects to slip inside and find an invitation to stay.

Don't Get Left Out in the Cold!

Winter in the Front Range is tough enough without a garage door that won'tcooperate. If you’re experiencing any of these issues, don't wait for a smallproblem to become a major, expensive headache.

As your trusted Garage Door Denver Colorado, we're here to help. We offerprofessional tune-ups, premium garage door opener repair in Denver, and fast,secure spring replacement. For reliable, affordable garage door repair inDenver, Colorado, call us today. Stay warm and safe this winter!