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Winter is here and as Iowans we adapt to the cold each winter. As for our garage doors? Not so much. Cold weather can cause a lot of issues with garage doors. Find out what is causing your garage door to malfunction and how to fix it.

Metal Contracts in the Cold

Springs and other metal pieces may seize up or break because metal contracts in the cold weather. Lubricating the springs, hinges, and other moving parts with a silicone-based lubricant should help your garage door function more smoothly in the cold weather and extend their life. Contracting metal may also throw off the alignment, which makes it harder for the door to open and close properly. Be sure to check the position and condition of the brackets.

Grease Buildup

If you are someone who believes in lubricating your garage door tracks and all other moving parts of your garage door as discussed above – Congratulations!  It does help with the proper operation of your garage door and extends life of many components.  It is however, very important that the proper lubricant be used so that your efforts to ensure smooth operation don’t backfire on you.  Improper lubricants can cause grease buildup and result in problems.  Your best option for lubricating tracks is a silicone-based lubricant manufactured specifically for garage doors.  We have lubricant in our showroom available for purchase.  Drop in, mention this blog and receive $2 off of a can of lubricant.

Photo Eye Sensor Damage

Cold weather or being bumped can cause the photo eye sensors to become dirty, out of alignment or possibly damaged. Inspect the photo eye sensors to make sure they are clean and have no damage. Be careful when cleaning them to not knock them out of alignment.  Dirty or improperly aligned photo eyes will cause problems with the correct operation of your garage door and opener.

Garage Door Freezing to the Ground

Ice and snow buildup around and under the garage door can cause the garage door to freeze to the ground. BEWARE!  If you try to open a garage door that has been frozen to the ground, damage to your garage door and opener will happen.  If your driveway slopes towards your garage, always check to make sure water has not pooled and frozen your garage door to the ground. If snow and ice are not properly removed from this area, it can also cause the door to not close properly.

Ice Between Garage Door Panels

Garage doors that consist of a series of interconnected panels may get ice in between them, making it difficult for the garage door to open. Inspect your garage door for panels that might be frozen together. Applying heat along the joints that are frozen will get rid of ice.

Low Battery in the Garage Door Opener

Cold weather can drain batteries in garage door opener remote controls and keypads. Try replacing the batteries if the garage door won’t open and you have exhausted all other options.  It is a great idea to keep a spare pair of batteries for your remotes and keypads.

Amega Garage Door Repair in the Des Moines Metro Area

Amega’s expert garage door technicians are happy to come to your home and diagnose your garage door problem in the winter time. Please contact us for any garage door and garage door opener service issue in the Des Moines metro area!