Denver winters are hard on commercial overhead doors. Cold mornings, quick temperature swings, snow, ice and de-icing salt all put extra strain on springs, cables, seals and openers. A door that runs a little rough in October can fail in January, usually on the busiest morning of the week.
Mid-October is a good time to get ahead of it. Here’s a practical checklist facility managers can use to get dock doors, rolling steel doors, sectional doors and high-speed doors ready for winter.
Why winter is hard on overhead doors
A few things change when temperatures drop:
- Metal contracts. Springs, cables and tracks tighten and shift a little, so a door that was balanced in summer may drift out of adjustment.
- Lubricants thicken. Old grease gets stiff in the cold, which makes rollers, hinges and bearings work harder.
- Seals stiffen and crack. Bottom seals and weatherstripping that are already worn won’t seal well against cold pavement, and they can freeze to the ground.
- Doors cycle more. In many buildings, doors open and close more in winter as staff try to keep heat in. More cycles means more wear on springs and openers.
- Salt and moisture. Snow, slush and de-icer tracked through openings speed up corrosion on tracks, hardware and the bottom of the door.
None of this means a door will fail. It means small problems become bigger problems faster, and winter is the worst time to have a door stuck open or shut.
The winterizing checklist
Use this list as a walk-through for each door. If a step needs tools or involves springs or cables, leave it to a trained technician.
Visual and safety checks
- ☐ Walk every door and note dents, bent sections, gaps or damaged panels.
- ☐ Look at the cables for fraying, rust or broken strands. Don’t touch them. Cables and springs are under high tension.
- ☐ Check springs for gaps, rust or visible damage.
- ☐ Look along the tracks for bends, loose brackets or debris.
- ☐ Confirm warning labels and manual release instructions are still readable.
Operation and balance
- ☐ Run each door through a full open and close cycle. Listen for grinding, scraping or popping.
- ☐ Watch for jerky movement, hesitation or a door that drifts down after it stops.
- ☐ Have a technician check balance and adjust spring tension if needed. An unbalanced door wears out the opener and springs faster.
- ☐ Check that limit settings stop the door fully open and fully closed.
Safety devices
- ☐ Test photo eyes and safety edges. The door should reverse when something is in its path.
- ☐ Clean photo eye lenses and check their alignment. Snow, dust and bumped brackets are common causes of problems.
- ☐ Confirm the manual release works, in case of a power outage.
Seals and weatherproofing
- ☐ Check bottom seals for cracks, tears or flattening. Replace any that don’t touch the floor evenly.
- ☐ Inspect perimeter and vertical seals along the jambs and header.
- ☐ Look for daylight around a closed door. If you can see it, cold air and snow can get in.
- ☐ On dock doors, check dock seals and shelters for tears.
Lubrication and hardware
- ☐ Have rollers, hinges, bearings and springs lubricated with a product suited to cold weather.
- ☐ Tighten loose hardware on hinges, brackets and track mounts.
- ☐ Replace worn or cracked rollers.
Openers, controls and access
- ☐ Test wall controls, remotes and any keypads or card readers.
- ☐ Check opener mounting and drive components.
- ☐ Make sure the area around controls and photo eyes will stay clear of snow piles once plowing starts.
Site and operations
- ☐ Plan where plowed snow will go so it doesn’t block doors, tracks or photo eyes.
- ☐ Remind staff not to force a frozen door. Forcing it can damage the opener, cables or sections.
- ☐ Keep de-icer away from door bottoms and tracks where possible.
- ☐ Post the number to call for door service where staff can find it.
Signs a door needs service now
Some issues shouldn’t wait for a scheduled visit:
- A broken spring or a cable that’s off the drum
- A door that won’t stay open or closes unevenly
- A door off its track or a bent track
- Safety devices that don’t reverse the door
- Loud banging or grinding during operation
- A damaged panel or section after a vehicle impact
If you see any of these, stop using the door and call for service. Running a damaged door often turns a smaller repair into a bigger one.
What to handle in-house and what to leave to a technician
Facility teams can safely handle visual checks, cleaning photo eyes, keeping areas clear of snow and debris, and reporting problems. Spring adjustments, cable work, track repairs, balance and opener repairs should go to a trained overhead door technician. Torsion and extension springs store a lot of energy, and adjusting them without the right tools and training can cause serious injury.
Put your doors on a maintenance plan
The easiest way to stay ahead of winter is a scheduled preventive maintenance plan. Instead of waiting for a door to fail, a technician inspects, lubricates and adjusts your doors on a regular schedule and gives you a written condition report so you can plan repairs and budgets.
Exteriors Denver offers overhead door maintenance plans for sectional, rolling steel and high-speed doors, with priority scheduling for plan customers. Plans are priced per door per visit, and you can choose how many visits per year fit your building. You can see the plan options on our commercial services page.
Need help getting your doors ready?
Exteriors Denver is a service-disabled veteran-owned contractor headquartered in Denver. We install, service and repair commercial overhead doors, including rolling steel, sectional, dock and high-speed doors, along with the rest of the building and grounds work your property needs. See everything we do on our services page.
If you’d like a pre-winter inspection, a repair or a maintenance plan quote, contact us for a free estimate or call (970) 788-2566. We offer fast response when a door breaks down, and you’ll have one point of contact from the first call to the finished work.