Winter is hard on your home, and your garage is no exception. Garage doors can experience a lot of complications when it’s cold out, causing them to stop working. As you prepare your home for colder weather, familiarize yourself with a few of the most common causes of garage malfunctions in winter.

Common Wintertime Garage Door Issues

1. Constricted Metal

Metal constricts in the cold, which affects components of the door like the tracks, the hardware, the frame, and the door itself. If your door won’t budge, it could be due to metal in the frame or the track gripping it too tightly. This is especially common in garages that aren’t heated, but it may be resolved by using a space heater to warm the garage and the metal, loosening the door.

2. Brittle Springs

Metal shrinks with the cold, becoming more likely to break or snap. Your springs are most affected by this vulnerability, as they bear more pressure and tension than other parts of the door. If your door stops working, check the springs on either side for signs of damage. You’ll likely have to get professional garage door service to have this fixed, as spring replacements are difficult to do on your own.

3. Thick Grease

Grease lubricates the door tracks, allowing for fluid movement. When it gets extremely cold, grease may begin to coagulate, which puts more strain on the system and can impede door movement entirely. Warming the garage may help the grease thin back out, or you can apply fresh grease and try again.

Whether you need repairs on your current garage doors or entirely new doors, the Overhead Door Co of Lycoming County, a division of Schrader Architectural Products, will take care of your needs. Serving Williamsport, PA, their high-end, competitively priced door options include fiberglass, wood, aluminum, steel, and insulated doors. With over 50 years’ combined experience, they also provide skilled garage door service options, including spring repair. Learn about the residential overhead doors offered by “the Genuine, the Original Overhead Door Company” online, and call (570) 326-4749 to schedule repairs or replacement.