Houston doesn't get a northern winter, so this isn't a big winterizing project. You're getting ready for a handful of cold mornings and the occasional hard freeze, like the February 2021 winter storm that left much of the area below freezing and without power for days. A short check in the fall covers most of it.
What cold weather does to a garage door
On a cold morning, rubber weatherstripping stiffens and can crack, and lubricant thickens, so the door runs slower and louder. A spring that's already worn out may pick that morning to break. A real freeze adds two more problems: the bottom seal can freeze to the concrete, and a power outage leaves the opener dead with your car inside.
Fall checklist
Weatherstripping
Close the door on a sunny day and look at it from inside. If you see daylight along the bottom or sides, the seals aren't doing their job. Replace a bottom, side or top seal that's cracked, flattened or brittle before the first cold front. Stiff rubber only gets worse in the cold.
Lubrication
Do your regular twice-a-year lubrication in the fall: silicone spray or white lithium grease on the hinges, roller bearings, springs and spring-shaft bearings. Skip regular WD-40, and wipe the tracks clean instead of greasing them. A fresh light coat handles cold better than old grease gummed up with dirt. Our garage door lubrication guide has the full steps.
Balance and springs
With the door fully closed, pull the red emergency release cord and lift the door a few feet by hand. It should lift without a big struggle and stay about where you let go. If it's very heavy or drops, lower it, leave it closed and have the springs inspected. Don't adjust springs yourself. Run the opener once afterward and it will latch back onto the door.
Only pull the release cord with the door closed. With the door open, or with a broken spring or cable, the door can fall.
Opener and safety checks
- If your opener has a battery backup, unplug it and run the door from the wall button. If it's sluggish or won't move, replace the battery now.
- Test the auto-reverse by laying a 2x4 flat under the door and closing it. The door should touch the board and go back up.
- Wipe the photo-eye lenses. A humid cold front can fog them with condensation, and the door won't close. Still blinking after cleaning? See our sensor alignment guide.
When a freeze hits
If the bottom seal is frozen to the slab, don't keep pressing the button. The opener will strain against the ice and can damage itself or bend the top section. Unplug the opener, then free the seal with a plastic putty knife or wait for the afternoon thaw, which comes on most Houston freeze days. Don't pour hot water on it. It refreezes.
Keep the door closed as much as you can. If your water heater or washer lines are in the garage, a closed, sealed door helps keep them from freezing. An insulated door helps more. An insulated upgrade usually runs $300 to $600 here.
If the power goes out and you need the car, use the manual release with the door closed and lift the door by hand. Find that red cord now so you're not hunting for it in the dark. If a spring is broken, don't try to lift the door. Call our emergency line instead.
Slow or noisy on cold mornings
A door that's sluggish at 35 degrees and normal by afternoon usually just has thick lubricant or stiff seals. If it's still slow on a warm day, or it stops and reverses for no clear reason, the cold isn't the cause. Check the balance, sensors and rollers.
Fall tune-up before the cold arrives
If you'd rather not do the checklist yourself, call us at (713) 324-8950 before the first cold front. A tune-up covers lubrication, a balance check and adjustment, hardware tightening, auto-reverse and photo-eye tests, and an inspection of the rollers, cables and springs, and we price any repairs before replacing anything.
