Here are snow removal tips to keep your garage door safe.
Winter is finally here, and that means the season of snow and ice has arrived, to the joy of kids and the utter exhaustion of adults. Between driveways, sidewalks, decks, patios, and porches, keeping snow and ice off of the surfaces around your house so they stay safe feels like a full-time commitment. And now there’s another consideration to add. How can you remove snow and ice from a garage door safely but effectively? Read on for several tips.
Get A Weather-Resistant Door
Depending on what material makes up your garage door, the winter may present different levels of hazard for you. If you have a garage door that is not suited to the weather for your area, the best solution is to get a new one, that is. Different types of doors have different susceptibilities, such as cold damage for steel doors or rot for wood doors. If a replacement is a feasible option financially, schedule it sooner than later.
Don’t Operate The Door Without Clearing It
Once the winter weather hits, it needs to be cleared out of the path of the door – whether it was open or shut. If the door was shut, any ice that accumulates on the threshold could be a problem. The ice builds up, holding the door against the threshold, and making the motor work much harder than it should ever have to. Remove the ice before trying to open the door. If the door was open during the storm, don’t close it without clearing the threshold. Trying to close the door over a pile of snow will, in the best case, engage the safety reverse and cause the door to reopen. In the worst case, it could damage the door as it closes and cause it to get stuck there.
Don’t Pile Up the Snow
Whether you’re shoveling or using a plowing service, make sure you don’t pile the snow against the garage door. The force of a plow pushing the snow up against the door could cause damage on its own, so make sure your service leaves a margin of safety. Even if it doesn’t, having all that snow and debris piled against the door could cause damage as it melts. From staining to encouraging rot, all of that water and decomposing plant matter can impact both the door and threshold, leading to costly issues down the line.
Let First Choice Garage Doors Find The Right Door For You
Since 2004, First Choice Garage Doors has been providing quality service in Maryland, Delaware, Northern Virginia, and Pennsylvania. We offer services like garage door installation and replacement, as well as maintenance and repair. We specialize in the repair and maintenance of garage doors and their accessories. Here at First Choice Garage Doors, we work with top manufacturers in the industry, including Amar Entrematic, Clopay, Wayne Dalton, and Artisan.