Unless you live in the warmer climates, winter has arrived with a bang. You've probably pulled your sweaters out of storage, gathered your firewood, and cranked up the heater. However, if you haven't given your garage door some much-needed maintenance, you're not completely ready for winter. You see, the cold, wet, snowy winter weather can wreak havoc on your garage door, especially if it's already in questionable condition. To make sure your garage door will make it through the winter unscathed, here are four steps you should take as soon as possible.

Let Your Senses Take Over

When it comes to maintaining your garage door, you can learn a lot from your senses. Before it gets too far into winter, go outside and spend a few uninterrupted minutes with your garage door. Let your senses take over. First, look at the tracks and door for signs of damage. Pay close attention to areas that could be rusted, or tracks that are twisted or bent. Next, Listen for sounds of distress when you engage the garage door, especially grinding and squealing sounds. Finally, smell for odors of burnt wires or oil. If you notice any of those problems, you should have your garage door inspected as soon as possible.

Get Everything Tighten Up and Squared Away

During your sensory inspection, you might have found hardware that was loose. If you did, now's a good time to get your toolkit out and get everything tightened up and squared away. Those loose nuts and bolts might not seem like a big deal, but if they fall out and cause your door to malfunction while you're stuck out in the cold, they're going to be a very big deal. Avoid the bitterly cold moments by tightening the hardware before the cold weather really settles in.

Replace Those Worn-Out Rollers

You might not pay much attention to the rollers on your garage door, but you should. Those rollers work hard each and every time you operate the door. Over time, they can wear out, fall apart, and tighten up. When that happens, your garage door won't open and close as smoothly as it should. While you're taking care of winter maintenance on your garage door, take a few minutes and replace those worn-out rollers.

Apply Some Fresh Lubrication

If it's been more than a year since you lubricated your garage door, it's a good idea to take care of that now. There are a couple of areas that should be lubricated on a regular basis. The first area is the chain drive that attaches the garage door to the motor. It's responsible for opening and closing your garage door. Go ahead and give the chain a fresh application of water-soluble lubricating spray. You'll also want to lubricate the motor by adding some fresh gear oil. The oil and lubricating spray will ensure that your garage door opener is able to function properly during the bitter cold.

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