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A Guide to Prepping Your Garage Door For Any Weather

By Jim Hatley, July 19, 2022

You should never underestimate the value of your garage door. It plays a vital role in your home’s appearance, can increase your resale value, and often serves as the main entry point to your house. It protects your vehicle and other garage contents against the elements. Sometimes, you open and close it several times a day, and it has to withstand all possible weather conditions all year round. It is very important to have a weatherproof garage door that you maintain diligently. One of the biggest tasks in maintaining your garage door is ensuring that it is ready to face everything that Mother Nature can throw at it. We put together a quick but comprehensive guide to preparing your door for all weather conditions.

Easy ways to make your garage more resistant to hail and wind

During the course of the year, Colorado experiences pretty much all possible weather conditions imaginable, from heat to rain, winter storms and hail storms and blizzards. Here are some ways you can protect your door against heat and cold, drought and flood.

Inspect your existing garage door: Your door may look strong at a glance, but to really get an idea of how well it can withstand extreme weather conditions, you should have a professional check it to determine whether it can endure a heavy wind load. Wind load is the amount of pressure exerted on the surface area of a structure when wind blows against it. Modern weatherproof garage doors include a wind load rating, and you should aim to install a door with the highest possible rating you can find.
Determine if Your Garage Door is Wind-Ready Versus an Add-On: If you don’t have a weatherproof garage door that is highly impact-resistant, it is possible to retrofit protective mechanisms. There are bracing kits available that help to reinforce the door and increase its wind load.

Different ways to help protect your garage from floods

Floods can do incredible damage to your garage door, leading to costly repairs or even the need for a replacement. You can’t avoid a flood, so you must ensure that your garage door can withstand it. Here is what you can do to prepare your door and garage for floods.

Replace weatherstripping: Whatever material your garage door is made of, the rubber or vinyl strip at the bottom should form a tight seal between it and the floor. Make sure to inspect and repair this strip on a regular basis.
Inspect foundations for cracks and damage: In the Tri-Lakes region, the combination of heavy winter snow and long summer days of sunshine can lead to the formation of hairline cracks in your concrete or asphalt. While these fine fissures do not impact the structural integrity of your home, they can grant water access to your home. The more precipitation seeps into the gaps, the more they erode and widen. Make use of your landscape to absorb or redirect runoff water. There are many environmentally pleasing options available, from appropriate plants and heavy mulch to swales, retaining walls, and berms.
Store items strategically: If you have stored any items of value or sentimental importance (documents, photographs, etc.) in your garage, try to find a place for them inside your home.

Preparing your garage door for heavy storms

Having a weatherproof garage door can reduce the risk to your house and garage during heavy storms and high winds. To protect your home, its contents, and your loved ones, a proactive approach is recommended. The last thing you want is to be exposed to the elements, hurrying to finish the job, as the storm approaches. Choose a weatherproof garage door design that incorporates built-in reinforcing and robust installation hardware to increase resistance to impact forces and wind. The outer appearance can be whatever look suits your architectural aesthetic. The magic happens inside the door, where there is insulation and wind load bracing features that secure the garage door in a storm. You can also install locks with steel pins and bracing. If you find yourself with limited options just before a storm arrives, you can brace the doors using two-by-fours, slide-locks, and/or cable ties to anchor the sections of the garage door to each other.

How to open a garage door manually during a power outage

When there is no electricity, a weatherproof garage door opener without a battery backup will not work. Whether you have driven into your driveway and suddenly realize you cannot enter the garage or you are trapped inside and need to get your car out of the garage, this presents a problem. Here is a step-by-step guide to opening your door when the motor is malfunctioning or when there is no power.

Make sure the door is in the down position
Pull the emergency release cord
Manually move the garage door and return to the down position
Pull the emergency release cord towards the door
Reconnect the trolley to the opener carriage

How does the summer weather affect your garage door?

Snow, ice and rain can all damage your garage door, but hot summer days can too. A weatherproof garage door must not only be able to withstand heavy precipitation and cold weather; it must also be summer-proof. 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. 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 the door’s operation. 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.

The hot weather can also affect the electronics in your door motor. The heat can affect the sensors and wiring in the motor. You need to insulate the door in order to prevent this from happening. Keeping your garage cool will go a long way toward protecting these sensitive components from excessive heat.

Why your garage door weather seal is so important

Garage door weather seals and weather stripping play an important role in keeping your garage and home insulated. It is very important that you check the seal regularly and replace it if necessary.

The major advantage of having weather strips on your garage doors is that they protect your vehicles. Your car is one of your biggest investments and deserves to be looked after. In the same way that your car requires regular maintenance, so does its home.

A weather seal that is in good condition will prevent dust, pollen, and debris from blowing into your garage and adhering to your car or other important belongings that you keep in the garage. Aside from adding extra protection to the garage interior, it also protects the door itself. A weather seal on the bottom edge of the door will help to absorb the impact when the door hits concrete every time you close it.

A good garage door seal can also protect your garage against things other than hot or cold air, or rainwater. In summer, roaches, ants, spiders, and other insects could head into your garage to escape the heat. In winter, pests may take refuge in your garage to ride out the cold. A tight weather seal will close gaps that could allow insects and pests into your garage to destroy your belongings.

Tri-Lakes Garage Doors specializes in the installation and repair of all kinds of garage doors. We serve homes and businesses all along the Front Range. If you need to install a quality, durable (not to mention, beautiful) weatherproof garage door,contact us today.

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