Some homeowners may overlook the importance of garage door service due to the reliability of those doors. However, costly repairs may result when you do not detect a problem early before extensive damage results. This article discusses some checks that you should perform to ensure that your garage door would cope with any bad weather, such as a storm.

The Weather Stripping

Extreme hot or cold weather can cause untold damage on the weather stripping of your garage door. For instance, the weather stripping may chip, shrink and crack after becoming brittle because of exposure to the freezing temperatures of winter. The heat of the summer can also have the same effect. If such weather stripping isn't replaced, you are likely to have issues when the next episode of bad weather strikes. For instance, the cold air during a storm may enter through the gaps in the damaged weather stripping. This can increase your energy bill. Replace any weather stripping that is worn.

Screws

You should also check all the screws, such as those on the hinges, to confirm that none of them is loose. Any loose screws should be tightened as soon as they are discovered. You should also replace any screws that you find missing. This will ensure that the stability of your garage door will not be compromised when that door has to withstand an extreme weather event, such as a strong wind.

Protective Coatings

Some garage doors have protective coatings, such as paint. You need to inspect the garage door to confirm that its protective coatings are intact. Otherwise, the material underneath the surface, such as steel, may be damaged when bad weather strikes. Metal garage doors are particularly susceptible to corrosion by moisture if those garage doors aren't protected through painting or galvanisation. You should therefore paint or varnish any spots where the protective coating has deteriorated. This will ensure that the garage door remains in a good condition when severe weather occurs.

Batteries

Extreme cold usually has an adverse effect on batteries. It is therefore important that such a challenging time happens when the batteries in your garage door opener are in a good condition. Replace those batteries in case they are nearing their expiry date and severe weather is anticipated.

The checks above may help you to identify some service issues with your garage door. However, some issues, such as the condition of the torsion springs, may require the experienced eye of a technician. You should therefore ask a professional to inspect your garage door so that he or she rectifies any issues that you may have missed during the checks discussed above.