How Does The Summer Weather Affect Your Garage Door?

The summer weather can be hard on your garage door and garage door tracks. Summer proof your garage door and learn about garage door maintenance here.

What Warm Weather Can Do To Your Garage Door

It is not only precipitation like snow, ice, and hail that affect your garage door; these hot summer days can do the same. If you don’t take precautions, the summer sun can really damage your garage door. Luckily, we do not have extreme humidity to contend with in Colorado, but the dry heat presents its own set of problems, and in summer, the hail and rains can be damaging.

Your garage door has a pair of photo-eyes which are able to sense obstructions underneath the overhead door. They signal the garage door to reverse in order to avoid crushing whatever is in its path. The photo-eyes are not always able to differentiate between a beam of direct sunlight and an actual obstruction.

This can be prevented by shading the electronic eye with cardboard or a different opaque, flexible material such aluminum foil. Some sensor manufacturers produce these eyeshades for the sensors. You should contact your garage door installation professionals to inquire about having these installed. Alternatively, you can get a technician to flip the receiver and sender sensor; this might eliminate the sunlight interference.

Electronics are sensitive to extreme temperatures; heat can affect the sensors and the wiring for the operator motor. An insulated garage door will help to prevent this. Keeping your garage cool will go a long way toward protecting these sensitive components from excessive heat. In the same way that you prepare your garage door system for the onslaught of the cold winter months, you can get a garage door professional to tune-up and prepare your door for summer by making some heat-related adjustments. 

Remember, extreme heat could cause damage and premature aging to your garage door. Installing a garage door threshold seal can help to protect your garage and its contents. The seals are UV protected so they will not get damaged by the sun or rain. Most seals are made of durable PVC and can withstand the weight of even the heaviest cars.

How Hot, Dry Weather Affects Garage Door Openers

Heat can affect the running of your garage door. On a typical summer day, an uninsulated garage can heat up to over 100 degrees. As with any machine that has moving parts, changes in temperature can have an impact on their operation.

When the mercury rises, the metal on the bracket and rails of your garage door expands, sometimes causing the safety sensors to become misaligned. If your door does not operate on a hot day, check to see if there are any blinking lights on the sensors. This indicates that the sensors are misaligned, and are in need of repair.

If the weather is extremely hot, it is possible that a garage door opener can overheat with just a few cycles within a 15 minute timeframe. If you are working on your garage door opener, be aware of this possibility and be sure not to overheat your system.

How to Prevent Damage to Your Garage Door

The sun beating down constantly on your garage door through the hot summer months will cause the paint to fade. Although this does not affect the functionality of the garage door, the aesthetic appeal diminishes and this affects your property value.

Wooden garage doors need to be sealed regularly and our driest month, June, is the perfect time to undertake this task. Wood tends to lose its beauty fast if not maintained. Pre-empt damage caused by our unpredictable weather patterns by taking care of your most precious asset – your home.

Tri-Lakes Garage Doors is a Colorado licensed and fully insured company with over 20 years of experience and expertise in serving homeowners and businesses in the Fort Range area. Get in touch with us today for the best options when it comes to summer proof garage doors.