Salisbury’s Winter Repair Surge: How Extreme Temperature Swings Are Creating New Garage Door Problems in 2025
As winter 2025 approaches, homeowners across Salisbury, Maryland are bracing for more than just cold weather. Weather forecasts indicate above-normal winter temperatures with dramatic temperature swings, and meteorologists are predicting “a season of dramatic swings and widespread wintry weather” with “cold temperatures, frequent snowfalls, and plenty of surprises” along with expected weather swings. These extreme fluctuations are creating unprecedented challenges for garage door systems throughout the region.
The Science Behind Temperature-Related Garage Door Failures
Temperature changes are notorious for the impact they have on interconnected components, and cold weather, especially, can have a significant effect on your garage door opener. Metal contracts slightly in cold temperatures, which means winter weather causes the metal parts in the lift mechanism to grow tighter together and grind together. In some cases, this creates enough resistance between connecting parts that they aren’t able to move, which leads to your door being stuck.
The problem becomes more severe when temperatures swing rapidly. Fluctuating temperatures cause the metal parts of your garage door to expand or contract. When those temperature changes are great, such as the freezing temperatures that have been plaguing winters, it can cause damage to your garage door springs.
Common Winter Problems Plaguing Salisbury Homeowners
The cold weather season can be the worst time of year for garage door failure. Low temperatures, along with moisture can cause a door lock to freeze solid and prevent your door from opening or closing. Here are the most frequent issues residents are experiencing:
- Frozen Lubricants: Garage door openers can lose some of their lubrication in cold weather, which may cause them to work harder. Frozen lubricant can be another reason a garage door opener doesn’t work in cold weather.
- Spring Failures: During wintertime, it is very common to find spring wires weakened by the weather as they become more fragile. So, if you feel that your garage door just will not open manually or it feels unusually heavy, the cause will most likely be a broken spring.
- Sensor Malfunctions: The photo-eye sensors on your garage door can also become fogged over due to the cold. When this happens, the garage door may think there is an obstruction in the way even if there isn’t. This lack of communication between the sensors can cause malfunctions with your garage door opener.
- Frozen Weather Seals: When water freezes during the winter months, some garage doors freeze to the ground, especially if puddles form at the bottom. Garage doors are designed to seal to the ground in an attempt to prevent weather and small animals from coming inside. In cold weather, though, this can cause the door to stick.
Why 2025 Is Different
This winter season presents unique challenges due to the predicted weather patterns. Shifting stratospheric winds could result in cold air from Canada entering into the U.S. as polar vortex moves. In addition, “the polar vortex may wobble,” which could send bursts of frigid air and snow to the U.S. These rapid temperature changes are particularly damaging to garage door components.
Extremely low temperatures can freeze the lubricant, which causes operational stalls. The opener unit electronics don’t like the cold too and often lags during a colder season. When combined with sudden warming periods, this creates a cycle of expansion and contraction that accelerates wear on mechanical components.
Prevention and Maintenance Strategies
Homeowners can take several steps to protect their garage doors from winter damage:
- Use Cold-Weather Lubricants: A silicone-based lubricant for cold weather is the best option rather than traditional grease that can freeze.
- Regular Maintenance: The best way to prevent your garage door from encountering issues due to winter weather is with regular maintenance. Having garage door tune-ups every year or two can keep your garage in the best condition possible.
- Weather Stripping: Adding or replacing garage door weather stripping is one of the easiest ways to protect your garage from moisture, drafts, and temperature swings. It forms a barrier that locks out the cold and also reduces the effects of changes in weather conditions.
When to Call Professionals
Garage door springs are usually rated for 10,000 cycles (one cycle is when you open and close the door), so if you have lived in your home for more than 7 years, and you have never changed your springs, it is definitely time for you to replace them to prevent any of these problems. In this case, you should call an expert to help you change the springs because if you try to do it yourself, you can get seriously injured.
For residents experiencing garage door problems this winter, professional garage door repair salisbury services can diagnose and fix issues safely. Usually, cold weather garage door problems can be fixed, especially if you do it on time. So, measures such as applying enough lubrication can get the door working properly again.
Looking Ahead
As Salisbury prepares for what meteorologists are calling an unusually challenging winter, homeowners should prioritize garage door maintenance now. Extreme temperatures can significantly affect your garage door’s performance. You might find your garage door not working in cold weather because parts like springs contract and can even break. This constant flux between expansion and contraction isn’t just annoying, it could lead to serious wear and tear over time.
The combination of predicted temperature swings and increased frequency of winter storms means that 2025 could see a significant surge in garage door repair needs. By taking preventive measures now and understanding the warning signs of temperature-related damage, Salisbury homeowners can avoid being caught off-guard by winter garage door failures.
Don’t wait for your garage door to fail during the coldest day of winter. Schedule maintenance now and ensure your garage door system is prepared for whatever Mother Nature brings to Salisbury this season.