When you buy your garage door, you will probably take the effects of weather on garage doors into consideration. For example, you may opt to purchase an insulated garage door to help keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Or you may buy a steel or composite door to help protect you against rain, hail or snow beating against your door. But have you really thought about all the possible effects of weather on garage doors, especially summer weather? Here are some of the main summer weather issues you may encounter when it comes to your garage door.
DIRECT SUN RAYS ON YOUR SENSORS
The photo eyes that let your garage door know it needs to go up so it doesn’t crash down on something in its way can’t always tell the difference between a beam of direct sunlight and an actual obstruction. If your garage door seems to be going up randomly, this may be the reason. If you are having this problem, your only recourse may be to DIY some “eyeshades” out of cardboard or aluminium foil to protect your sensors from direct sunlight.
HUMIDITY
Humidity is the enemy of smooth, frictionless motion. When it gets hot, you may find that your garage door is sticking, not going up or down smoothly, or getting stuck. To avoid or resolve this problem, always have garage door lubricant handy at least once a month, especially in the summer.
MOISTURE
If your garage door is made of wood, you will need to provide a weather-resistant finish to both sides of the door to protect it from moisture in summer. Before and after the season, the wood needs to be treated. The moisture in the air can soak into the wood and lead to cracking or rotting issues, which could be a complete disaster if not taken care of.
HEAT
In Australia, the heat can reach record numbers each summer. Depending on the placement of your garage door, the sunlight may hit the garage door for long periods of time and raise the surface temperature up to over 100 degrees. This can cause parts of the door to expand and throw off the balance of the door which can be very unsafe. The heat also affects the electronics in your garage door motor. If your garage door is not closing properly or not staying closed in the hot weather, you may need to call a garage door technician to adjust the sensitivity or limits of travel for your garage door and garage door motor.
FADING
Over time, the sun beating down on your garage door may cause the paint to fade. While this does not affect the functioning of your garage door, how your garage door looks is important, too. You’re probably careful to maintain the appearance of the rest of the exterior of your home, so don’t neglect your garage door. Give it a fresh coat of paint or stain every year or whenever you see it’s noticeably faded. The best way to make sure your garage door will stand up to all manner of weather conditions is to start with a quality garage door.
THUNDERSTORMS
During the summer, thunderstorms are also prevalent. You never know when a severe electrical storm will occur. A quality garage door should be able to stand up to your average summer thunderstorm without too many problems. However, summer thunderstorms can result in power outages. If a lightning strike occurs near your garage, it can cause a surge that may damage the garage door motor’s circuit board. If your power goes out, your garage door opener may not work. Make sure you know how to open and close your garage door manually. You may also want to invest in a battery backup for your garage door opener.
CYCLONE
Australia is a great place to live. However, every summer, cyclones affect the eastern, northern and western coastlines. As the largest point of entry, your garage door offers the largest opportunity for high-pressure destruction. To reduce the risk, it is recommended that you install garage doors that are adequately wind and debris rated. The cyclone garage doors have wind locks or other braces to help resist the wind loads. This will give your house the best chance of performing well and safeguarding the lives of you and your family during these types of events.
PESTS
A garage is a great place for protecting your cars and providing needed storage. It may even double as a workspace. But one thing you don’t want or need in your garage is pests. Unfortunately, these pests always seem to worm their way into garages in the summer time. So, how do you keep pests out of your garage? Make sure your garage door is going all the way to the ground, and your weather seal is intact. If you have a problem here, it can create a huge opening — you can be sure local pests will take advantage.
For more help and resources, don’t hesitate to call Steel-Line Garage Doors. Steel-Line has over 40 years of experience servicing all kinds of garage doors for all kinds of homes, and we’d love to show you what we can do for your garage today. Call us today on 1300 767 900 or book a garage door service.
