A damaged garage door can allow wind and water to enter your garage, leading to costly structural damage and exposing valuable belongings. In some cases, a garage door that fails during high winds can increase pressure inside the home, potentially causing even greater damage to the roof and walls. Fortunately, taking a few preventative steps can significantly improve your garage door's ability to withstand Alabama's unpredictable weather.
Why Garage Doors Are Vulnerable During Severe Weather
Garage doors cover a large opening and rely on tracks, rollers, springs, and panels working together to operate safely. During severe storms, high winds create tremendous pressure against the door. Older or poorly maintained doors may bend, come off their tracks, or fail altogether.
Heavy rain can also damage weather seals, allowing water to enter the garage. Hail may dent steel doors or crack windows, while frequent humidity can accelerate rust and corrosion on hardware. These issues often develop gradually, making routine inspections essential before storm season begins.
Inspect Your Garage Door Before Storm Season
The best time to prepare your garage door is before severe weather is in the forecast. A thorough inspection helps identify small issues before they become expensive emergencies.
Walk around both the inside and outside of the garage door. Look for dents, warped panels, loose hinges, frayed cables, rust, and damaged rollers. Check that the tracks are securely attached and free of debris.
Check the Door's Operation: Open and close the door several times. It should move smoothly without jerking, shaking, or making excessive noise. Grinding or squeaking sounds often indicate worn components that should be serviced before they fail during a storm.
Test the Garage Door Balance
A properly balanced garage door places less strain on the opener and is less likely to experience sudden failures.
Perform a Balance Test: Disconnect the automatic opener using the emergency release cord. Lift the door halfway and let go carefully. If it stays in place, the balance is likely good. If it quickly falls or rises, the springs may need adjustment.
Garage door springs are under extreme tension and should only be adjusted by trained professionals. Attempting spring repairs yourself can result in serious injury.
Replace Worn Weather Seals
Weather stripping plays an important role in protecting your garage from rain, dust, insects, and drafts.
Inspect All Seals: Check the bottom seal, side seals, and top weather stripping for cracks, tears, or missing sections. Damaged seals should be replaced before storm season arrives. New weather seals help prevent water intrusion while improving your home's energy efficiency throughout the year.
Tighten Loose Hardware
Your garage door moves thousands of times each year, causing nuts, bolts, and brackets to loosen over time.
Focus on Safe Components: Using the appropriate tools, tighten any accessible hardware on the hinges and roller brackets. Do not adjust the red-painted spring hardware or components attached directly to the torsion spring system, as these remain under dangerous tension.
Secure hardware helps your garage door withstand vibration and strong wind loads during storms.
Lubricate Moving Parts
Proper lubrication reduces wear on moving components while ensuring smooth operation.
Use the Right Lubricant: Apply a garage door lubricant to rollers, hinges, bearings, and springs according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Avoid using standard grease or heavy oils that attract dirt and debris.
A well-lubricated garage door is less likely to bind or place unnecessary stress on the opener during severe weather.
Check the Garage Door Opener
Modern garage door openers include several safety features that should be tested regularly.
Test Safety Systems: Verify that the photo-eye sensors are clean, aligned, and free of obstructions. Test the automatic reverse feature by placing a small object beneath the closing door. The door should reverse immediately upon contact.
Also, ensure the backup battery functions properly if your opener includes one. Power outages are common during severe storms, and battery backup allows you to operate the garage door safely when electricity is unavailable.
Consider Wind-Resistant Garage Doors
If your garage door is older, replacing it with a wind-rated model may provide greater protection.
Wind-resistant garage doors are engineered with reinforced panels, stronger tracks, and heavier-duty hardware designed to withstand higher wind pressures. These doors are especially valuable for homeowners living in areas that frequently experience severe thunderstorms or tornado activity.
Upgrading your garage door may also improve energy efficiency, curb appeal, and home value.
Install Garage Door Reinforcement
For homeowners who are not ready to replace their existing garage door, reinforcement kits offer another layer of protection.
Strengthen Existing Doors: These systems add vertical braces or horizontal supports that strengthen the door against high wind loads. While not every garage door is compatible with reinforcement kits, a professional inspection can determine the best solution for your home.
Trim Nearby Trees
Storm preparation extends beyond the garage door itself.
Overhanging tree limbs can break during strong winds and fall onto the garage door, causing significant damage. Trimming weak or overgrown branches before storm season helps reduce this risk while protecting your roof and vehicles.
Keeping the area around your garage free of loose outdoor furniture and debris also minimizes the chance of flying objects striking the door.
Know How to Operate the Emergency Release
Power outages frequently accompany severe weather.
Practice Before an Emergency: Every homeowner should know how to disengage the automatic opener using the emergency release cord. Practice using it before an emergency occurs so you can safely open or close the garage door if electricity is unavailable.
Be sure the door is fully closed before pulling the release whenever possible, as an open door with broken springs may fall unexpectedly.
Avoid Using the Garage Door During Severe Storms
Once severe weather arrives, avoid operating the garage door unless absolutely necessary.
Opening the door during high winds allows additional pressure inside the garage and may expose the door to flying debris. If local authorities issue tornado warnings or dangerous wind advisories, keep the garage door securely closed until conditions improve.
Inspect Your Garage Door After the Storm
Even if your garage door appears undamaged, perform a careful inspection once the storm has passed.
Look for Hidden Damage: Check for dents, bent tracks, cracked windows, damaged weather stripping, loose hardware, or unusual noises during operation. Water stains inside the garage may indicate damaged seals that require replacement.
If you suspect structural damage or notice the door operating unevenly, discontinue use until a professional inspection is completed.
Schedule Professional Maintenance Before Storm Season
Routine maintenance remains one of the most effective ways to prepare your garage door for Alabama's severe weather.
Professional technicians inspect springs, cables, rollers, tracks, openers, safety systems, and hardware while identifying worn components before they fail. Preventative maintenance not only improves reliability during storms but also extends the overall lifespan of your garage door system.
Annual service can often prevent unexpected breakdowns while ensuring your garage door continues operating safely year after year.
Protect Your Home with Expert Garage Door Service
Your garage door serves as both an entry point and a critical layer of protection for your home. Taking the time to inspect, maintain, and reinforce it before Alabama's storm season can reduce the risk of costly damage while improving your family's safety.
Whether your garage door needs preventative maintenance, repairs, reinforcement, or replacement with a modern wind-rated model, the experienced team at River City Doors is ready to help. Our knowledgeable technicians can evaluate your garage door, recommend the best solutions for your home, and ensure it is prepared for whatever Alabama weather brings. Contact River City Doors today to schedule an inspection and enjoy greater peace of mind before the next storm arrives.
