Most homeowners consider winter weather when organizing a new garage door installation in Arvada and will make sure they choose a model that can easily withstand freezing temperatures and snowstorms. However, not everybody stops to consider how well their new garage door will perform in the summer months, when the heat and humidity can become very oppressive. If you are currently thinking about replacing your garage door and you have yet to settle on a specific model, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the types of problems that summer weather can cause and what you can do to minimize these problems.

Summer Weather Issues That Affect Overhead Doors in Arvada

First of all, it is important to ensure that any garage door you buy comes from a reputable manufacturer. But even if you buy one of the best quality doors available, you will still need to consider the following issues:

1. Long-Term UV Light Exposure – One of the most noticeable effects of summer weather on a new door is fading and discoloration of the finish from long-term exposure to strong sunlight. While this is not a serious problem as it won’t prevent the door from operating flawlessly, it can be disappointing if you just spent a significant amount of money on a new overhead door installation. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to solve this particular issue. In extreme cases, a fresh coat of paint, or wood dye and varnish, will restore your door to its original condition. If you would rather take preventative action so you don’t have to refinish a painted steel door at the end of every summer, a good-quality liquid wax can be applied.
2. Power Surges – Summer storms often cause localized power surges, which can destroy sensitive electronic components in a garage door opener. If you want to help protect garage door openers from damage during thunderstorms, we recommend installing a surge protector. A good-quality surge protector should be capable of absorbing electrical spikes of 45,000 Amps, keeping your garage door opening mechanism safe in the event of a lightning strike to the local electrical system.
3. Power Outages – Thunderstorms don’t just cause electrical spikes, they can also result in power outages, which sometimes last for several hours. This should not cause any lasting damage to your door but it could prevent you from opening or closing it until power is restored. To make sure that your vehicle is not stuck inside your garage at an inopportune moment, you should choose a garage door and opener with an easy-to-operate emergency release. You should also familiarize yourself with the procedure for operating the emergency release and opening the door manually so that you know what to do in the event of a power outage. If you have your new door installed by a reputable overhead door company, the installation technician should be happy to show you how everything works.
4. Overheating of Electronic Components – High temperatures can affect both sensors and electric motor wiring in garage door opening mechanisms. With this in mind, you should make sure that any new door you purchase has plenty of insulation. A well-insulated door will help to keep the ambient temperature in your garage a little cooler during the hottest parts of the day, thereby preventing any overheating issues with electronic components.
5. Expansion of Mechanical Parts – On a very hot summer’s day, the metal components of your garage door opener may expand, causing issues with the opening and closing of the door. Movement may become considerably slower and, in some cases, the door may become stuck completely. As with the overheating of electronic components, the best way to avoid this particular issue is to invest in a door with excellent insulation. This will help you to keep the air inside your garage as cool as possible. If you would like to know which makes and models have the best insulation, please feel free to contact our overhead door company by phone or by email.
6. Bright Sunlight on Sensors – Strong beams of sunlight shining on your garage door’s safety sensors can cause them to malfunction. The infrared light in the sun’s rays may confuse the sensors, causing them to believe there is an obstruction in the way of the door when there isn’t. The best way to avoid this issue is to make sure that your sensors are shaded from direct sunlight at all times.
7. Failure of Lubricating Oils – In very hot temperatures, lubricating oil films will start to collapse, leading to accelerated wear and tear of the moving parts that the lubrication was meant to protect. To avoid more rapid replacement of rollers and other moving parts, it is a good idea to increase the frequency with which you apply lubrication. Some people try grease as they believe it is more resilient but in warmer weather, the oil will separate from the thickener faster so it’s not a very effective solution. Regular visual inspections and reapplication of a quality lubricant when necessary is the best way to minimize the problems you experience from lubrication failure due to excessive heat.

Maybe you have already heard of our overhead door company in Arvada or maybe you landed on this page after searching for ‘garage door installers near me’. However you ended up here, you are more than welcome to contact us if you require any more information or a quotation for a new door.