Now that summer’s here, all you may be thinking about is hamburgers on the grill, ice-cold lemonade, and hosting neighborhood pool parties. Who has time to think about the state of their garage door? Well, you should make the time. That’s because summer weather can damage your door, which you should know.

Sunlight

Direct sunlight can wreak havoc on your garage door in many ways. In addition to creating sweltering conditions inside the garage, it can also trick the photo sensor on your door into thinking there’s an object obstructing it. So, sunlight could be blamed if you notice your door keeps opening partially or closing partially in summer.

One solution is to make a cardboard sun visor to keep UV rays from reaching the sensors. If that still doesn’t work, call a professional to troubleshoot.

Storms

When the atmosphere experiences drastic temperature changes, warm winds, and extra moisture, this can create conditions for the perfect storm. How do those storms affect your garage door?

  • Hail: You can’t help hail from hitting your garage door, but you can do some after-storm assessment. Once the storm has passed, inspect the garage for damage. Your homeowner’s insurance covers many issues. Call your garage door repair company to fix the damage right away. If you leave dings and scratches, they can rust and lead to problems with the integrity or operation of your door.
  • Losing electricity: Power outages are part and parcel of severe storms, so you should always know how to operate your garage door manually if the power goes out. Install a backup battery to ensure you can operate the door no matter what.  
  • Wind: Summer storms bring high winds that can toss lawn furniture, tree branches, and other debris at your door. Inspect for damage after a storm. Bring lawn furniture, toys, sporting equipment, and any other potential hazards into your home when you know a storm is coming. Furniture with bungee cords if you can’t bring it inside.

Humidity

High temperatures also bring high humidity levels, which can make everything sticky—including your garage door. Humidity could be to blame if your door is operating erratically as it travels along the track. Lubricate your door tracks monthly to prevent this.

Contact M&M Garage Doors

Do you need help with summer garage door issues? We can help. Call us today at 586-610-5434 for a free quote on service, maintenance, repair, and inspection.