Seasonal garage door care

Winter. Do not force a door that is frozen to the ground — break the ice free first. Shovel snow away from the base rather than letting the opener push through it. Use a lubricant suited to your door and climate rather than a heavy grease that stiffens in cold. If the door struggles noticeably in cold weather, that is a service call, not a setting to override.

Spring. Good time for the full visual: check the bottom seal, the weatherstripping along the jambs, and the door's finish, especially on wood doors, after a winter of freeze-thaw. Clear the tracks of debris and grit.

Summer. Heat and humidity swell wood doors and can make an uninsulated garage genuinely unusable. This is the season the insulation question tends to answer itself. Check that the opener's force settings have not drifted as the door's movement changes with the weather.

Fall. The most valuable season for the annual professional visit DASMA recommends, because it catches marginal springs, worn rollers, and drifting opener settings before cold weather turns them into a January breakdown. Also the right time to re-run the reversal tests and check the seals before the weather turns.

How to choose

Never force a frozen door

Break the ice bond at the bottom seal first. Forcing it strips the seal or strains the opener.

Book the annual service in fall

It catches the failures that would otherwise happen in the coldest week of the year.

Use a cold-appropriate lubricant

Heavy greases stiffen in cold and make a door sluggish. Follow your manufacturer's manual.

Keep the base clear

Snow, ice, leaves, and grit at the threshold cause reversals and premature seal wear.

Re-test reversal after weather extremes

Force and limit settings can behave differently as the door's movement changes across seasons.