How To Make Sure Your Garage Is Functional Year Round

Your garage should work year-round for you. There should not be a season or a time when you can’t stow your vehicles away or get hard at work on your next project. But, keeping your garage in a condition that allows this does take some maintenance. Weather patterns are sure to change throughout the year as the seasons come and go – those changes in condition are going to cause some fairly significant changes in your garage that will need to be handled. Especially in regards to your garage door.

Let’s take a closer look at the steps you can take to ensure you have a fully functional garage year-round.

Preparing Your Garage For Summer

Unless you’re living in the Arctic, summer is primarily defined by two things: heat and humidity.

The air outside is getting hotter and it’s becoming more moist. That’s sure to cause some changes in your garage that you need to mitigate against.

First and foremost you’ll need to take the following steps with your garage door – that door is your only means in or out of your garage and you need to take special care of it.

Inspect Inside and Out

To start, you’ll want to do a quick survey of the door, both interior and exterior, to see if you have any spots where rust is beginning to show. Rust is the byproduct of moisture coming into contact with anything made from iron.

And since, in all likelihood, there are segments of your door that are composed of iron it’s fully possible that the moist summer air has begun eating away at your precious door. If you do locate any rust spots, it’s important that you have them removed/cleaned right away and then use a metal-friendly primer to seal away any gaps for continued growth.

Paint Your Garage Door

And on that note, the warmth of summer also provides an excellent opportunity to proceed with painting your garage door. This is definitely not something you need to complete annually, but incorporating this in every few years will ensure that you can head off any rust from developing and have a fresh, sharp-looking door. Just verify that you’ve picked up a metal-friendly paint before you whip your brush out.

How to Keep Your Garage Door Functional

All that moisture floating around in the air can lead to the moving segments of your garage door starting to seize. So, you’ll also want to go through the process of cleaning out the tracks and lubricating the garage door during the summer months.

Before you begin this process go ahead and close the door and then unplug it from the power source; the last thing you want is a surprise engage while you have your hands wedged between those metal rollers!

Next, take a damp rag and thoroughly clean out the channels in the tracks – make sure that you have all the debris completely removed. Finally, take a lithium-based grease (not WD-40) and lubricate all the moving parts of the door, this will include the following: hinges; rollers; bearing plates and springs; lock and arm-bar; and the top of the rail.

The last summer maintenance you’ll want to do is to take a soft cloth and gently wipe/clean the photo-eyes. These are the sensors located towards the base of the door that triggers the door to stop and reverse if anything is caught moving beneath the door. Having these cleaned will ensure proper, and safe, functional garage door.

One final step you may want to consider for the sake of comfort in your summertime garage is installing a passive roof-vent to increase the amount of airflow and natural cooling accomplished within your garage.

Preparing Your Garage for Winter

In the winter, the air dries out and becomes much cooler. While this doesn’t have quite as dramatic an effect on your garage as the summer air it’s still important you prepare in the following ways.

First, you need to complete your annual review of your garage door’s functionality and overall integrity. Start by cleaning both the interior and the exterior of the door with warm water and detergent (our suggestion would be to use one of those automobile-rated sorts, the same type you would use when washing your car).

Next, you’ll want to check your door for proper balance. Go ahead and close the door midway, reaching the top of your waist, and see if the door stops and remains stable. If there is any sort of shifting or motion this indicates that the door is out of balance and that you need to get a tech out to troubleshoot and repair.

Lastly, do a thorough inspection of all the bolts fastened on the door and tighten any that have come loose.

You’ll also want to do a survey of your weather-stripping – those trim pieces that are used to seal between your garage door and the garage floor. Anything that seems damaged will need to be either repaired or replaced altogether.

Finally, there is no better time than the frigid chill of winter to consider installing a heating unit in your garage. There are a host of different options you could select from here – from portable and compact space-heaters to large, fixed natural gas-powered units that affix to the garage ceiling. You’ll have plenty of options to choose from to ensure that you are warm and toasty despite those winter snowflakes piling up outside.

Functional Garage Starts with Danley’s

The best way to ensure that your garage is functional all year-round is by upgrading your garage. Building a two-car or a three-car detached garage is possible with Danley’s Garage World. We have built over 100,000 custom size garages that are 100% functional and energy-efficient year-round. Speak to a specialist and get a free quote online today!