admin We all know the list that gets trotted out each time winter rolls around. Check the antifreeze, check the tread on your tires, and make sure you have an ice scraper in the car. One thing, however, that a vast number of people neglect when winter approaches is their garage.
It may appear as if your garage door is a trivial matter, but rest assured that this component is actually working much harder than you may realize, especially as the temperature continues to drop.
The Cold, Hard Truth About Garages
The truth is, most garages are not heated, but they should at least protect you from the elements. The thing is, old garage doors, especially those that are a little warped, allow cold air, rain, and even snow to seep inside.
What Cold Weather Does to Your Car
You may already be aware that cold temperatures are a pain for cars:
Batteries drain quickly in freezing temperatures. A battery that will work well in the summer may have trouble starting the engine if the temperature is -5°C.
The oil becomes thicker and doesn’t flow well until the engine is warmed up, so starting will be harder.
Car tyres deflate – by 1-2 PSI per 5°C drop in temperature. This explains why your low pressure light is always coming on as the autumn season approaches.
The paint job may be affected by freezing and thawing conditions, if water is present, as a result of either rain or melting
However, a good garage will certainly help with all the mentioned problems, which a regular garage or even a roof will not guarantee. A small difference, even a difference of a few degrees, makes a world of difference nonetheless
Insulated Garage Doors: Worth It?
The new insulation door has a core made out of foam, which is nestled between two layers of steel. It’s not just designed to keep the cold out either – they keep the heat out as well, which makes sure that your garage doesn’t turn into an oven when summer comes around.
The other advantage is, they are much quieter. If you have a bedroom over the garage, trust me, your family will love you when you get up at 6am to go to work.
Gaps and Seals: The Sneaky Problem
Despite how well your garage door may appear, you should go around and examine the seals at the bottom and sides. Rubber seals will break down and shrink with age, and you may well have gaps you’re unaware of, but they’re leaking cold air, rain, and even mice, as we’ve recently discovered First World problems, indeed).
Seals are easy and inexpensive to replace. You could do this yourself with materials bought at any DIY store. However, if the door is damaged or warped, seals will not solve the problem – the door will have to be fixed.
Condensation: The Hidden Enemy
When you drive your vehicle into a cold garage on a wet day, all the moisture doesn’t magically vanish into thin air. It just sort of settles onto your vehicle, and if you have a garage with a drafty door, you’ll just create a case of condensation.
The garage door, if well sealed, will help regulate this. Together with good airflow, this will prevent the creation of that wet condition that rust just loves.
It’s Not About the Car
Garages are just something we have as a storage unit, a place to keep all kinds of things, like paint cans that will freeze and break down, or power tools that require batteries that won’t hold a charge at low temperatures, or even a storage refrigerator or deep-freeze unit, although we’ve
A good garage door will protect all this stuff. And if you’ve insulated your garage, you may even be able to use it as a workshop with the cold temperatures preventing your fingers from thawing as you work.
Automatic vs Manual: The Winter Factor
If you have ever waited out in the pouring rain, fighting a manual garage door that is stuck, you’ll know why many people favor the convenience of an auto door.
But there is a further advantage to winter: you don’t have to get out of your car. Pull up, press the button, drive in. You don’t stand out in a snowbank, freezing, struggling to open a frozen door.” “That’s nice, sure,” says Lisa.
Present-day automation systems are dependable as well. They come with safety devices which prevent the door fromclosing if something is obstructing its path, and they are all capable of being manually opened should a power outage occur.
The Cost Question
Okay, let’s discuss the matter financially. A brand new garage door doesn’t come cheap, but you’ve likely invested just as much, if not more, in your vehicle, as well as the cost to repair a rusted part or a dying battery.
You can pick up a simple replacement door for a few hundred quid, or you could spend a couple of thousand pounds on an insulated door with an auto-opening system, depending on your budget and how much you actually use the garage.
In looking at Winter prep doesn’t just concern your vehicle’s mechanical components. It also involves the storage location you opt to keep your vehicle in. A garage with a sturdy and tightly secured door is a wise investment, protecting your vehicle by maintaining a sound barrier against moisture, making your life easier when the skies turn foul. The next time you are organizing your winter tires or checking the fluids, take a minute or two to check your garage door. It will do your auto a world of good.