5 Signs Your Garage Door Needs Maintenance Before Winter

When temperatures drop in Chicago, your garage door becomes one of the hardest-working systems in your home. Cold weather, moisture, and corrosion can turn minor issues into costly emergencies. Understanding the warning signs of wear helps you prevent breakdowns, improve safety, and extend the life of your opener.

Technician performing a pre-winter garage door inspection in Chicago — Early maintenance prevents costly failures when temperatures drop.

1. Loud Grinding or Squeaking

A noisy garage door is usually the first signal that maintenance is overdue. Grinding, squeaking, or rattling sounds often come from dry rollers, hinges, or bearings. During winter, metal parts contract and old lubricants lose efficiency.

👉 Apply a silicone-based or lithium garage-door lubricant to rollers, hinges, and springs — but never grease the tracks. A quiet door means your hardware is running smoothly.

Close-up of garage door rollers being lubricated before winter — Use a silicone or lithium garage-door lubricant on rollers, hinges, and bearings.

2. Door Feels Heavy or Drops Too Fast

If your door suddenly feels heavier or slams shut, the torsion springs may be unbalanced or worn out. Springs carry most of the door’s weight; when they weaken, the opener motor struggles and can burn out faster.

Try a quick balance test: disengage the opener, lift the door halfway, and see if it stays. If it drops or shoots up, call a professional technician immediately. Attempting to adjust springs yourself is unsafe and not recommended.

3. Frayed or Rusty Cables

Cables are vital for lifting your garage door safely. Exposure to salt, humidity, and freezing air causes corrosion, which weakens the steel strands. Frayed or rusty lift cables can snap without warning — a major safety risk.

Inspect them visually at least once a season, and if you see rust, unraveling, or frayed spots, schedule a garage door cable replacement before winter hits.

Before-and-after comparison of a cracked garage door bottom seal replaced before winter — Replacing cracked bottom seals prevents drafts, water ingress, and ice buildup.

4. Cracked Bottom Seal or Visible Gaps

A damaged weather seal along the bottom or sides of your garage door lets in cold air, water, and pests. Even small cracks can increase heating costs and cause ice buildup along the floor.

Replacing a garage door bottom seal is an easy upgrade that improves insulation and prevents energy loss. You can do it yourself or request a garage door tune-up service to have it replaced during inspection.

5. Blinking or Misaligned Sensors

When the photo-eye sensors blink or cause the door to reverse unexpectedly, it’s usually a sign of dirt buildup or misalignment. In cold weather, frost and condensation can also block the sensor’s infrared beam.

Aligning garage door photo-eye sensors to about six inches from the floor — Photo-eyes aligned at ~6″ reduce false reversals in cold, humid conditions.

Clean both lenses and ensure they are aligned about six inches from the floor, facing directly at each other. If the indicator lights keep blinking, schedule a garage door safety inspection.

Quick DIY Winter Maintenance Tips

Clean and lubricate rollers, hinges, and bearings monthly.
Check weather seals for cracks and replace if daylight is visible.
Tighten loose bolts or screws around brackets and hinges.
Keep the opener rail clean — remove grease and dust buildup.
Test auto-reverse and balance before the first freeze.

These simple 10-minute checks can prevent expensive repairs and keep your system running quietly through the winter.

When to Call a Professional

If your garage door feels heavy, makes loud noises, or has rusty cables, don’t wait until the first snow. A certified garage door technician can inspect spring tension, track alignment, opener force settings, and safety sensors to ensure everything runs properly. Professional tune-ups once a year — ideally in fall — help avoid emergency calls during freezing temperatures.

Why Winter Garage Door Maintenance Matters

Cold weather increases friction and reduces flexibility in all metal parts. Ice and moisture cause rust, while thickened lubricants slow down rollers and bearings. Preventive care keeps your garage door opener, springs, and cables from overworking and breaking. A pre-winter inspection is a small investment that protects your home, your car, and your safety all season long.

Get Expert Garage Door Service in Chicago

AL Garage Doors provides fast, reliable, and affordable tune-ups across the Chicago area. Our local technicians offer same-day inspections, free winter readiness checks, and free quotes for all types of doors and openers.

Call (773) 757-8067 or book online to schedule your winter service today.