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Industry Standard Recommendation:

Garage Door Maintenance Twice a Year.

Do NOT wait until Winter is Upon Us.

Winterizing Preventative Maintenance Macon County Special - $49.00

Must Mention This Special from Website when making appointment

Expires 02/28/2020

How To Winterize Your Loading Dock Garage Door

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Ahead of the next big snow storm, many people will remember to winterize their homes by plugging leaks, insulating exterior walls, adding storm windows, etc. But what does it mean to winterize your loading dock garage door?

For loading dock garage doors, this means that you are preparing your door for the possibility of cold weather or harsh conditions that might cause damage to its structure or mechanics if left unattended.

Before we go about "winterizing" a loading dock garage door, let's first talk about what you should do when the warmer months fade from your life and colder weather is on its way. In general, not much needs to be done to winterize a loading dock garage door because most manufacturers build their doors for harsh winter conditions.

Loading dock garage doors are designed to hold up during the winter months when they are exposed to snow, ice, wind, salt, and other corrosive materials that cause rusting over time. As you can imagine, if these door components weren't built to withstand this type of weather, your loading dock could be unusable for weeks or months at a time during the winter months.

The important thing to remember about winterization is that it's not really about "protecting your door" so much as it is making sure that your loading dock can still function after harsh weather conditions take their toll. Where most people go wrong is waiting until they notice an issue with their garage doors before they do anything about it.

If you want to ensure that your loading dock garage door is protected and able to function in the harshest weather, follow these simple steps:

- Inspect all components thoroughly and replace them as needed. Your garage door may require new springs, cables, or hinges if they have been subjected to extreme cold or heat.

- Treat any rusted components. If your loading dock garage door is made of steel and the weather has contributed to some rusting, you may need to sand or grind it down and apply a new coat.

- If you have had the same LED lighting installed on your loading dock for over a year, now might be time to replace them. LED lights tend to lose their effectiveness as they age and you might notice that your loading dock is harder to activate at night.

- If it's time for a new garage door opener (which should be once every 5-10 years), now would be a great time to install it. Your old operator could be malfunctioning due to the harsh conditions and will need to be replaced.

- If your door uses cable drums and cables, you may want to replace them as well since they are typically the weakest point of a loading dock garage door. Always keep an extra set on hand in case of emergencies.

With these "winterizing" steps complete, your loading dock will not only hold up in the winter months, but it will also be ready for spring. For maintenance or new installation, turn to our team.