Most Houstonians are well aware of what Houston summers can do to people and pets. But do you know what summer weather can do to your garage door? In some ways, summer heat, humidity and storms can be just as damaging to your garage door as winter weather. Here are some things summer weather can do to your garage door and tips on preventing the damage it can cause.
Your Garage Door Opener
It gets hot in the Houston gulf coast region. Whether you’re up in The Woodlands, in Sugar Land or in the City of Houston, you feel the heat. And so does your garage door opener. Your garage can heat up to 100 degrees and over on a Houston summer day. That heat can affect the electronics in your garage door opener causing a need for an adjustment to the sensitivity or limits of travel for your garage door opener.
With everything from your basic summer storm, to hurricanes, and tropical storms, power surges are common in Houston. Currently, the power grid is a hot topic in Texas! A power surge can damage the circuit board in your garage door opener. To protect your garage door opener, plug in a surge protector on the outlet where your opener is plugged.
The aforementioned storms and humidity can also create rust and corrosion on your garage door opener chain and hardware. A good prevention is to lubricate all your metal moving parts with a garage door lubricant twice a year (usually during the spring and fall).
Your garage door photosensors, the sensors that tell the opener motor whether its safe or not to close the door all the way, can also be affected during the summertime. If you have a West or East facing garage, the sun can be so bright it can trick your photosensor. Sunlight can reflect off the inside of the sender and overwhelm the signal causing the sensors to act as if an object blocks them. A tip to fix this is to set a cylinder-shaped object around each of the sensors’ eyes, which will block the sunlight and prevent it from interfering with them.
Your Garage Door
Your garage door itself can take some damage from summer weather as well. If you have a metal door, any exposed areas where the paint is cracking or chipping away can rust. For repairing chipped paint, please read How to Fix Chipped Paint On Your Garage Door.
Also, the sun’s intense summer rays can dull the finished look of the paint on your garage door. If you have a garage door that receives a lot of sun, it might be best to go for a light color such as white or almond for your garage door finish.
If you have a wooden garage door, it’s best to make sure you keep the wood sealed. The summer storms, tropical storms, and humidity can make the door swell, causing it to get heavier and harder to open. If the door becomes heavier, it will put excess strain on the garage door springs and motor, causing them to wear out faster or the springs to break.
Summers can be hot here in the Houston area. If you find that the heat has affected your garage door and is in need of repairs, Spectrum Overhead Door LLC can provide you with award-winning garage door service, often in the same day! Call 281-748-9542 to set up your no-obligation appointment.