Here in Calgary the winters are brutal. Measurable snow falls nearly 90 days a year and can start falling as early as late September. The wind howls down off the mountains of  Banff National Park  to the west and from the Alberta prairies of the north. And the cold. Don’t even get us started on the cold. If a garage door can get through the Alberta winter unscathed then yours can get through the winter in Toronto or Vancouver or even Denver unscathed. But just what are the secrets to winterizing your garage door that so many Calgarians have taken to heart? Below we’ll take a look.

Tips for Winterizing Your Garage Door

If you live in the northern climes you have likely run into problems with garage door performance during the winter. This is because today’s garage doors are precision mechanisms with lots of moving parts that can be negatively impact by snow, ice and relentless cold. Here are some expert tips on maintaining optimal performance in your garage door all winter long.

Have the Seals and Weatherstripping Checked 

Before Old Man Winter descends to wreak the kind of havoc that necessitates garage doors repair  inspect the seals and weatherstripping on your door. Robust weatherstripping that’s in good working order will make a noticeable difference in the temperature inside the garage. This will have a positive impact on everything from the belt or chain on the opener to the motion of the rollers in the tracks and whether or not the door gets stuck to the ground and refuses to open. In addition to the weatherstripping along the bottom of the door the frame is also sealed against the elements. So make sure you check all the seals involved and if any are in tough shape replace them or have them replaced.

Insulate the Door 

Did you know that a properly insulated garage door can raise the temperature inside the garage by 10 degrees or more? It’s true. And milder temperatures inside your garage will have a noticeable effect on garage door performance. Adding insulation to a garage door is a smart way to extend its life and ensure proper mechanical performance. But it should be done by a professional because the added weight of the insulation will require adjusting the springs to accommodate it. A well-insulated garage door will not only run smoother and last longer, the warmer garage it creates will help lower your monthly energy bills because the garage won’t be sucking heat out of adjoining rooms.

Have the Door Inspected Prior to Winter 

The best way to ensure that you won’t need to call for garage doors repair in January is to have your door thoroughly inspected prior to the worst weather setting in. Pros like those at B&W will put every aspect of your door under the microscope. They’ll upgrade your weatherseals, lubricate the rollers, cables, chain and hinges, check all the panels for cracks and make sure the tracks are properly aligned and completely clear of dirt and debris. If you have a remote access door they’ll also run a complete check of that system to ensure you’re not caught off guard when the weather turns nasty. An ounce of prevention is indeed worth a pound of cure when it comes to garage doors. Repair work is expensive. Maintenance checks aren’t.

Install a Unit Heater 

In some cases it may be advisable to install a heating unit in your garage in order to mitigate the effects of constant, extreme cold. A moderate sized heater that warms the space just a few degrees can make a big difference in garage door performance. This should be a last-resort type of option, however. One that is only considered after you have upgraded the weatherstripping and frame seals and insulated the door if it wasn’t already insulated. If those two steps have not made a measurable difference in the garage environment, then consider installing a heating unit.

Winterizing your garage door isn’t rocket science, it’s common sense. Just remember; the time to stave off expensive garage doors repair work and to make sure your door answers the call all winter long is before the cold weather really takes hold.