Is there anything more frustrating than running late only to find that your garage door won’t open in cold weather?
Normally a garage door is a huge convenience, allowing you to get into a car that isn’t freezing, but when your garage door acts temperamentally in winter weather conditions, it is no advantage.
Before picking up the telephone to call for an expensive service call, check these five reasons a garage door won’t open in cold weather first.
Likely one of them could be your magic “open sesame”.
Common Garage Door / Cold Weather Problems
Garage doors are a huge saver for people who live in regions with cold weather, helping them avoid having to grip a cold steering wheel or get onto a cold seat.
The only back draw to them, is that they can be reactive to weather conditions. Of course, it only happens when you are running late, or after hours.
So, trying these common garage door fixes before calling a fix-it man can save you some significant cash.
Hardened Grease
Grease and lubricants normally make a garage door open with ease.
When the weather turns cold, however, it is possible for the grease to coagulate, making it difficult for you to get your garage door to open. If your garage door won’t open in cold weather, the first suspect you should check is the grease that runs the tracks.
If you have a garage that isn’t heated, it may just be a problem of temperature mixed with grease. Sometimes applying some additional heat to your garage is the ticket to freedom.
Not Enough Grease
The amount of grease affects the smoothness of your garage door opening, which is why proper maintenance is essential for operation. If you haven’t greased your garage door in a while, you may not have enough grease for it to work properly.
In heated conditions, a low amount of grease doesn’t usually cause a problem. But, when it gets cold outside, the garage door won’t open in cold weather if you are low on grease. When it gets colder, having a low amount of grease can halt operation of the door from closing and opening.
Metal Contracts in Cold Weather
One of the most common reasons a garage door won’t open in cold weather is that the metal has contracted.
Cold makes the space between molecules lessen, which makes objects such as garage doors contract. If your garage door has contracted due to cold weather, it may be locking the door in place because there is no give to move the door up and down.
Before you call a technician, try to warm up the garage and see if you can break yourself free.
Broken Garage Door Springs
When things get cold outside, it is not uncommon for metal to crack and break.
Being more rigid and fragile, the cold weather may have caused the garage door’s springs to break. If that happens, then it is probably going to take a service call.
It is one of the common reasons that a garage door won’t open in cold weather that may require you to make a call. Of course, you have the option to do it yourself. But, the parts are hard to find, and it isn’t a job for newbies. Also, you won’t be able to get your car out and to the store to get what you need.
Warped or Misaligned Tracks
Although not a direct cause, if the cold weather has caused the garage doors to contract, it may be just enough to pull the door off of the track. Humid or cold weather may also have led to the track to warp.
In-climate weather can alter the tracks of your garage door and cause the door to go off track. If the cause of your situation where your garage door won’t open in cold weather is misaligned or warped tracks, you can try to get it on track yourself, or you may need to place a service call.
A garage door fix is typically not easy or inexpensive unless you can troubleshoot on your own. If your garage door won’t open in cold weather, take the time to do some research before making a service call.
