How Do Minneapolis Winters Impact Your Garage Door?
Having a garage in Minnesota is great, especially in the winter months when it protects your car from getting buried in the snow. The garage also keeps the subzero Minneapolis wind chill from freezing up your motor. Along with keeping your car safe, your garage door plays a huge part in protecting your vehicle. For that reason, protecting your garage door should be on your radar yet it is often forgotten. The cold, ice and salt can cause issues for your garage door in the winter. Below are some things to keep in mind to keep your garage door in mint condition throughout the year.
Keep it Lubricated. With winter in our midst already in Minneapolis, our garage doors can become quite sluggish. The freezing winter temperatures make the door become stiff. A great strategy for preventative maintenance is to apply lightweight oil such as WD-40 or spray oil. Do this for any moving parts on the garage door (the rollers, hinges and all pivot points) at least annually. Your garage door springs should be coated about every season. A good way to know if you are coating them properly is to allow the oil to drip down the cables on the side of the garage door.
Tightening Loose Ends. Another thing to check while you are oiling up the garage door is to tighten up any loose hardware. Bolts, screws and nuts tend to loosen up over time. To keep your garage door in great working condition, having your hardware tightened will minimize garage door malfunctioning.
Avoiding Salt Near Your Garage Door. It may be tempting to put salt on the driveway to melt the ice in the Minneapolis winter. A good tip to keep in mind is to keep the salt a few feet away from the door itself. The salt can cause rusting, just like it can on a car. Every spring and throughout the summer it is good to wash your garage door just as you would your car. This will keep it in prime condition for much longer.
Keep the Floor Clear. The buildup of snow and ice around the garage door can be a real issue, especially if you don’t want to use salt to melt the ice for the sake of preventing rust on the door. Taking care of this section where the door meets the ground will allow the garage door to seal properly. Any obstructions in this area may cause the alignment of the door to get off kilter due to uneven weight distribution. This could lead to some serious maintenance issues for the garage door.
Winter is a brutal time for us most years. We see lots of snow, ice and freezing temperatures in Minneapolis. Keeping your garage door well maintained is going to increase the life of your garage door and keep you from making large repairs. By lubricating the moving parts of the door on a regular basis and tightening up any loose pieces, you should have a working door throughout the year. To protect the door, keeping the salt away from it will reduce the likelihood of rust build up. To ensure that your garage is in prime condition, keep these simple tips in mind.