A well-maintained garage door is key to a long life of a garage. This is the part that will be used the most and will have most wear and tear, therefore it has to be looked after properly. Wooden garage doors are especially important in heated garages, as this is where most of the cold air will come through if it is not in mint condition. Even if the garage is not heated, cracked or broken seals will allow dust and draft into the garage. In many house designs, the garage will be situated under a room, and if there is cold air coming into the garage, this will also affect the overall warmth and heating bills of the house.
The first step of maintaining your garage door is cleaning it! If your garage door is made from steel, you might occasionally find some rust on it, in which case it will have to be painted, rusting happens when the door is exposed to sun rays and snow for extended periods of time. The paint can fade, peel or become brittle. To make sure the door lasts as long as possible, paint it every few years. Here are a few tips on how to do it.
Remove all of the old paint. Use a good wire brush or scraper for the job. An orbital sander can also be used to scrape off the paint. Once all the paint is removed, check if there are any dents in the surface. The doors must be prepared to accept the new coat of paint. If it is wooden doors, the wood need to be primed first. If it is a steel door, a correct grade sandpaper needs to be used to sand off the rust and then prime before painting. Do not go cheap on the paint and apply two thin coats on the surface. It is recommended to paint the doors every few years.
After the door is painted it still needs to be prepared for the weather. The door needs to be covered with weather stripping, which prevents dust and air from coming into the wooden garage. Over time, these weather strips become hard and start cracking, which then allows for the air to seep in. If the weather strip is damaged mechanically it also needs to be replaced as soon as possible.
More about wooden garages here.
Any hardware store will have these weather strips either in brown or white, as they are the most popular garage door colours. They also come with a plastic clip, which can be fitted on the garage door directly.
To attach the weather strip, firstly you will need to remove the old one carefully, without damaging the garage door. A new strip can be attached by following the old lines. It is recommended to install the weather strip when the garage door is closed. After it has been done, check if there are no gaps between the door and the frame!
By following these tips, your garage door will be like new for many years to come. It might sound like an extra expense but in the long-run it will be a lot less than a new garage door.
