You know that grinding sound your garage door makes every time it opens? The one you’ve been ignoring for months? Turns out, it’s not just annoying—it’s a warning sign. In Tennessee, our crazy weather does more than just mess with our hairstyles. It’s slowly destroying your garage door hinges without you even realizing it.
Before you start panicking about expensive repairs, take a deep breath. Understanding what causes hinge wear can save you hundreds of dollars and prevent frustrating breakdowns. We’re about to break down exactly what’s happening to your garage door and how you can protect it.
Why Tennessee’s Weather Is Your Garage Door’s Worst Enemy?
Tennessee’s volatile climate takes a toll on garage doors. Ask anyone who lives in the Volunteer State, and they’ll tell you: the summers are so hot and humid that you feel like you’re in an oven, while the winters can plunge the state into subzero temperatures that can freeze your breath.
Garage doors in Tennessee are subjected to not just the heat and humidity of the summer, but also the cold and temperature swings you get in winter. It’s a recipe for wear and tear on doors, making it tough to have anything approaching consistent operation.
These extreme temperature changes are discomforting for more than just you; they are absolutely excruciating for your garage door hinges.
Picture a metal hinge that is always going hot then cold, then hot again. It should be a surprise to no one that hinges under this kind of stress are in imminent danger of failing, and door hinges in particular.
I mean, who likes walking around an open door? The good news is that you can tilt the balance of strengths in your favor and guarantee that your garage door will withstand the temperature upheaval you live through.
The Top 3 Factors Destroying Your Garage Door Hinges
It’s not only your hair that humidity is making frizzy—it’s also your garage door hinges. In humid cities like Nashville and Memphis, moisture manages to seep into even the smallest metal crevices, attacking door hinges with the kind of full-scale assault most folks don’t realize is going on.
But here’s the kicker: each time your garage door moves, the moisture-damaged hinges (which are already working overtime due to your door’s weight) are being pushed to the limit.
You’re not just stressing the hinges; they’re stressing you right back is something that’s hard to visualize on a morning when your hair is trying to escape horizontal styling. But it’s humid and wet outside, and inside your metal garage door, tiny, invisible moisture particles are doing their thing.
What does this mean for you? Each time your garage door goes up and down, it’s a little fight between metal and moisture. The Garage Door Alliance says that’s how they see it: rust and corrosion caused by relentless indoor and outdoor humidity; by, as the GDA calls it, moisture that is “trying to infiltrate every opening”; by the not-so-infrequent jaunts your garage door makes to the open and closed positions.
There is steady destruction happening, and you’re going to be totally caught off guard when it eventually stops going up and down. This is the science of Garage Door Lifespan Doom.
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Warning Signs Your Hinges Are About to Fail
Let us be honest: the door to your garage should not sound as if it is trying out to be the score for a movie timed to come out around Halloween. If every single movement it makes produces a sound in the realm of squeak that makes your neighbors stop and wonder if something is dying in your garage, well, that’s a main, major warning sign.
Another way to say that is: Red flags also may include problems like these: rust you can see, doors that won’t open or close (or that you can’t open or close), and doors that sag when they’re closed or that don’t seem to be moving correctly in any other way when they’re open (or closed).
They may be sending out an SOS for you to use them or else! Because these are the kinds of things that could really open up a can of worms. And by worm can, I mean you may face a lot of bigger, more serious, and much more expensive problems down the road!
Simple Prevention Steps for Tennessee Homeowners
Staying away from a garage door repair can save a tremendous amount of money. But every garage door requires some sort of maintenance to keep it working efficiently and effectively—just like a car, a furnace, or a washing machine. It’s a relatively small but very important part of your home, and like anything else, it benefits from regular checkups and servicing. Thankfully, avoiding the aforementioned repair does not require a huge commitment in time or money.
A brief word of caution: steer clear of WD-40. It is not what many people believe. It does not repel moisture, and in fact, it attracts it and can speed up the damage you already have. Twice a year, take a few minutes to properly lubricate those hinges, and by doing so, save yourself a world of trouble.
Pro tip: Choose a steady timetable—perhaps when you’re flipping your timepieces for daylight saving—to guarantee you don’t overlook this key upkeep step.
Final Words
Your garage door hinges might seem small, but they’re the unsung heroes keeping your home secure. By understanding Tennessee’s unique challenges and taking proactive steps, you can save money and prevent unexpected breakdowns. A little maintenance goes a long way.
Not comfortable checking your hinges yourself? Local garage door professionals in Tennessee can do a quick inspection—often for free or at a minimal cost.
