Garage Door Blog - Garage Door Maintenance & Repair Tips

Many homeowners seeking to warm up their garage during the cold and breezy winter months begin by adding insulation to the walls, sealing holes and cracks or even cranking up a space heater. These all are energy-saving ideas that will make your home cozy and comfortable, but the most important thing you can do to stay warm and save on energy costs is to make sure your garage door is in tip-top working order.

“Your garage door is the biggest opening in the house,” said Mario Riggio, commercial project manager for The Overhead Door Company of Cheyenne™. “Every time you open it, you’re letting heat out.”

“Typically, there’s living space above or behind the garage. Keeping the garage warm makes a really big difference,” added Riggio, who has been in the overhead door business for three decades.

The best way to make certain your garage door is working well before the winter weather arrives is to have the door serviced in the fall by the experts at Overhead Door Company™. These professional technicians have the experience and expertise to determine exactly what needs to be done to keep the cold out and the warm in when your garage door is closed. A small tear in the vinyl perimeter seal around the door has the potential to turn into a major problem.

All garage doors installed by Overhead Door Company™ have a perimeter seal on both sides and horizontally across the header. Riggio pointed out that wind is as much of an issue as cold air in Colorado.

“The wind pushes the door away from the jamb. But the door would have to deflect over an inch to allow the air to get around the seal,” he said.

“You nip the seal with your car and all of a sudden, there’s snow coming into your garage,” Riggio added. “You need to make sure your seals are doing what they are designed to do.”

Insulation can be a major factor as well. Riggio said an insulated garage door costs more on the front end but will make a major difference in your energy bills. He said it’s ironic that in Colorado, the garage walls in most homes are insulated but the garage doors in many cases are not.

“That doesn’t make sense,” he said.

Another good way to weatherproof your garage is to have a professional install a storm shield on the garage floor as a weather and water barrier. Riggio said if the floor isn’t quite level, the storm shield, which is made of hard rubber, creates a stronger seal between the door and the floor. He added that the shield is tapered so it forces water away from the garage and onto the driveway.

“It provides a nice threshold, and you can drive or walk over it. You can even skateboard over it if that’s your fancy,” Riggio added.

The bottom line is that your garage door should do more than simply open and close. It should serve as a barrier between the Colorado winter and your comfortable home. And you should let a professional make sure your door is doing its job.
“You should have annual maintenance on the door, making sure it’s sealed, it’s adjusted properly and has no loose hinges or air leaks,” Riggio concluded.

Contact the garage door experts at Overhead Door Company of Cheyenne™. Give us a call at 307-316-3667 today.