Everything You Need to Know About Garage Snow Removal
There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and endless New England winters. Unfortunately, there’s not much we can do about the first two, but we do have some valuable insights on how to make it through winter with your garage door intact. Trust us, the last thing you want is to be running late to work one morning only to discover that your garage door is frozen shut
A few weeks ago, we shared our expert advice on how to winterize a garage. Today, we’re going to shift the focus to garage door winter maintenance. It’s actually pretty easy to take care of your garage door during the winter, as long as you know how to best approach ice and snow removal. Here’s what we recommend to our residential and commercial customers each winter.
Remove ice from the threshold. Have you ever found your garage door frozen shut? It’s probably because you let ice accumulate along the threshold. This is more than just an inconvenience—it can also damage the garage door. When ice forms on the threshold, the opener must work extra hard, which can lead to alignment problems or potentially even overheating of the mechanism. To prevent this from happening, be sure to clear any ice before closing your garage door.
Shovel away all snow. Along the same lines as removing ice from the threshold, you want to avoid closing your garage door if there is any snow in its path. This will trigger the automatic reverse mechanism so that the door won’t be able to close. In the event that the door does close, there’s a chance it will freeze shut, or that the debris that accumulates in the snow will damage it.
Plow with care. Whether you hire a professional for snow removal or you plow the driveway yourself, be sure to leave space in front of the garage door. Snow plows can be challenging to maneuver, so it’s important to take extra care when plowing near the garage. Each winter, garage doors are damaged by snow plows. The holidays are crazy enough without having to worry about a sudden garage door replacement!
Consider a weather-resistant garage door. Here in New England, we simply do not have the luxury of mild winters. While homeowners in milder climates can get away with just any garage door material, folks in New England often fare better with a weather-resistant option built to withstand months of snow and ice. These doors tend to last longer with fewer issues, so they are generally worth any additional upfront cost. At Champion Overhead Door, we carry products from topline brands like C.H.I. Overhead Door, Wayne Dalton and Amarr. We’re happy to go over weather-resistant garage door options with you anytime.
Hopefully by following the recommendations outlined above, you won’t experience any problems with your garage door this winter. But if you do, Champion Overhead Door is here for you. We even offer 24-hour emergency service should you find yourself in a real bind. Contact us at 802-251-0900 for general inquiries, or at 802-579-8301 for more information about our emergency service.