06.28.2017

Beat The Summer Heat With These Garage Door Tune-Up Tips

Summer Garage Door maintenance

Why take chances with the summer heat affecting your garage door? Summertime puts conditions in play that can affect your garage door system’s performance. As one of the most important appliances in your home, it's a smart call to be attentive to your garage door opener and garage door during summer months. With the impact the temperatures have, most garage door systems benefit from summertime garage door tune-ups.

Summer Considerations for Garage Door Systems

Here are just a few of the factors that can affect your garage door during the summer months:

  • Heat and Humidity: It's quite expected that increased temperatures will make your garage warmer in the summertime. The reason this can become an issue is that electronics can be sensitive to extreme temperatures. Heat can affect both the sensors and the wiring in your garage door opener's motor. At temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, things expand more than expected. This can have an impact on how your garage door performs.
  • Direct Sunlight: Did you know that the sun can impact your garage door's performance? It's not just about the increased heat, either. Why might not your garage door operate properly during a certain part of the day? It could be because of the sun. Sometimes the sun tricks garage door operators to sense an obstruction when there is none, which causes the door to not shut properly.
  • Potential Power Surges: Electrical storms during the summer can produce lightning and power surges that can affect how your garage door operates. To mitigate power surges to your garage door opener, use a single-plug surge protector. If your garage door opener system suffers from a significant surge without the proper protection, you may need to have the system replaced.

Benefits of Summer Garage Door Tune-Ups

Consider these benefits to seasonal tune-ups during warmer months:

  • Optimize your garage door's mechanics with heat-related adjustments
  • Prolong your garage door system's life expectancy
  • Ensure that your door is lubricated with a formulation appropriate for higher temperatures

Summer Garage Door Maintenance Tips

Here are some simple things you can do yourself to maintain the performance of your garage to deal with higher temperatures:

Routinely Inspect the Hardware

One initial step that you can take on your garage door summer maintenance project is to inspect the hardware for any wear and tear that may have occurred over the year. Simply look over all of the visible parts to see if any hinges look loose. Also be sure to check if track seems to be misaligned and if bolts look to be missing. Tighten all visible bolts and replace anything that might be missing. This simple step can make sure your garage door is able to open and close smoothly and without interruption.

Keep The Hardware Lubricated

One of the easiest ways to keep your garage door running smoothly throughout the summer if to lubricate all of the hardware. Ensuring that hardware is lubricated will eliminate loud noises and screeches while opening and closing. Lubricate all hardware and parts of the door with a 3 in 1 type of oil. You should never use grease when lubricating your garage door.

Keep Your Door Clean

Simply washing the door will remove dirt, grease, and grime that has built up over time. Water and a mild household detergent can be used to clean the surface of steel and aluminum doors with ease.
Insulation

Not only is garage door insulation beneficial during the winter months, but can also be extremely helpful during the winter. Keep out the heat and the air conditioning in by making sure your garage door is properly insulated. This can also help to keep out the heat in living spaces that may be located directly above the garage.

Check For Damage From Weather

Make sure there are no holes or openings in your garage door and that it is reinforced properly to keep your house safe from additional harm and damage during storms.

Routinely Test Your Garage Door

One of the easiest maintenance tests that can be done during any time of the year is to simply test out the garage door. Open and close the door to ensure that it is working properly and that nothing seems to be out of place and to ensure that it is not making any strange noises.

The best way to maintain your garage door for years to come is to schedule a seasonal tune-up with a certified professional. Our technicians can identify hard to catch problems before they arise to keep your garage running smoothly all year long.

Schedule a summer tune-up today.