Summer Maintenance Tips for Your Garage

As the weather heats up and summer months roll by, we here at the Overhead Door Company of Lansing wanted to remind you of some simple tips to help keep your garage in good shape throughout the year. Luckily, these are pretty basic tips that you can quickly complete without the help of a professional.

Inspect the Hardware

First and foremost, take a look at all garage door hinges, bolts, tracks, screws, cables and pulleys to make sure everything is intact from the previous year. Fixing these issues could be as simple as just tightening a screw.

Freshen Up Your Garage Door

Dirt and mildew can build up over the year, so this is a great time to wash and repaint your garage door. A well-maintained garage door can help the messiest of garages appear clean and fresh.

Clean Your Garage

If you skipped over spring cleaning, now would be a good time to tidy up the inside of your garage. Whether you plan to get rid of the clutter with a yard sale or simply dig out those old pool toys, be sure to utilize the nice weather to get your garage in order.

Keep Out the Heat

Insulating your garage door will help your garage maintain the desired temperature throughout all seasons. During the summer months, an insulated garage door can also help manage temperatures in any potential living spaces above or attached to the garage.

Lubricate

If your garage door is making squeaking or screeching noises when opened/closed, it may need to be lubricated. Lubrication is a great way to keep everything running smoothly throughout the year.

Most importantly, if you come across a problem that you’re not sure how to fix, don’t hesitate to call in a professional. We’re here to help, whether you are looking to book a repair or just a free estimate, feel free to contact us with any questions.

Three Garage Door Problems Caused by Summer Weather

With its ice, snow, and freezing cold, winter can cause a lot of maintenance issues with garage doors and their opening systems. However, winter isn't the only season that's hard on garage doors. Summer also causes a number of problems. Although we associate summer with vacations and barbecues, it is also a time of high heat, humidity, and lots of thunderstorms, all of which can affect your garage door's performance.

The Effect Of High Heat And Humidity

During heat waves and high summer temperatures, garage temperatures can easily exceed 100 degrees. This high heat can also affect the performance of your garage door electronics. This shouldn't come as a surprise: electronics already generate a lot of heat and high garage temperatures make it difficult for them to dissipate their own heat. This may cause your garage door opener to malfunction and prevent it from properly opening or closing the door. Fixing this problem will require some adjustments by a garage door service professional.

The Effect Of Direct Sunlight

If your garage door faces the sun during the morning or late afternoon hours, the garage door may not close because direct sunlight is shining on the sensor eyes. These photo sensors normally prevent the door from closing when it detects an obstruction. However, direct rays from the sun causes the sensors to behave as if an obstruction were present and prevent the door from closing. Therefore, if your door mysteriously refuses to close in the morning or late afternoon hours, this could be the reason for the problem.

The Effect Of Thunderstorms

Lightning strikes can sometimes cause power surges that enter the electrical systems of your home. If the circuit board of your garage door opener isn't protected against power surges, it can be damaged. When this happens, the garage door opener may not work at all or may exhibit odd behavior such as opening or closing on its own.

If your opener suddenly stops functioning during or immediately after a thunderstorm, this is the likely culprit. The circuit board or other affected electronics will require replacement. This problem is preventable by using a surge protector sold at most hardware stores. The surge protector is placed where the garage door opener is plugged into the wall.

If the summer weather has caused any issues with your garage door or garage door opener, we can help! Just contact us to set up a time for one of our technicians to come out and take a look!