Summer Weather is Coming to Beaverton
While we haven’t had too many hot weather days yet this year in Beaverton, the summer is coming, whether we’re ready or not. Many Oregonians are still quarantining due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis in the United States, and all that time at home means more expensive utility bills.
A hot garage is a cause for concern for many homeowners due to the related cooling costs. Here are a few reasons why your garage may be warmer than other areas of your home and what to do about it:
Reasons Why Your Garage is Hot
There are a few different things that could contribute to the garage overheating including:
1. Dark Paint Color on Garage Door
Is the garage door painted a dark color? Dark colors absorb more wavelengths of sunlight, which can heat your garage to an uncomfortable temperature in no time. Consider a fresh coat of a lighter color paint, which can help reflect sunlight away from the garage, keeping it cooler during the summer.
2. No Ventilation
To cool off your garage and promote ventilation, you may want to keep the garage door cracked open during the day. Otherwise, call the professionals at John’s Custom Garage Doors to help!
Another reason your garage gets too hot during the summer is the lack of ventilation. If your garage has any windows, try opening them and running a fan to help circulate air. Other ways to address poor ventilation in your garage include:
- Static Vents. Some homeowners may choose to install a box vent or similar static vent into the roof of the garage to promote the dissipation of hot air and moisture. This method is inexpensive, though it won’t necessarily cool your garage down in the same ways a mechanical exhaust system can.
- Exhaust Fans. While more expensive, including the garage into your home’s HVAC system will help improve the ventilation and keep the garage cooler during the day.
- Open the Garage Door. While this isn’t a permanent solution if you just need to get some work done in the garage but the air is too stuffy, open the garage door about a foot to promote ventilation.
3. Poor Insulation
Many homeowners may only think of insulation when attempting to keep the heat in their homes during the winter. However, insulation is critical when it comes to cooling as well. If the garage is not well insulated, you’ll lose cold air during the summer, and your garage will heat up as the day does. Consider installing insulation rated for your home and the PNW climate. Another way to help keep cold air inside of your garage during those hot summer days is to install weatherstripping. However, you can always call a garage door technician from John’s Custom Garage Doors to evaluate the garage’s insulation. The experts at John’s Custom Garage Doors can make suggestions for your garage based on years of experience.
How the Summer Heat Affects Your Garage Door
There are a few different ways the summer heat and weather can affect your garage door. Watch out for the following:
Malfunctioning Sensors
The direct sunlight that occurs during the summer months can cause your garage door sensors to malfunction. If your garage uses photo safety sensors, then sunlight may impair their function. Garage door opener photo safety sensors are designed as a safety feature for your garage door to prevent injuries from the garage door. Direct sunlight can cause the sensors to “think” that something is blocking the door, preventing it from closing when you need it to. This malfunction can also cause the garage door to close randomly. Call a garage door technician at John’s Custom Garage Doors to evaluate, diagnose, and repair the issue.
In some cases, we may recommend installing manufacturer shades on your photo sensors to prevent the issue. In other cases, we may need to swap the sender-receiver with the receiver sensor to eliminate sunlight interference. In either case, it’s best to call a professional.
Sticking Garage Door
You may notice that your garage door sticks far more often in the summer than other times of the year. The stickiness is a result of the garage door sticking to your perimeter seal. The combination of high humidity and the summer heat causes this problem. This problem most often affects recently painted garage doors.
The most common solution to a sticky garage door is to check the entire backside of the perimeter seal. Ensure that it is spotless and free of paint. If the backside of the perimeter seal has paint on it, you’ll need to remove the paint without damaging the perimeter seal carefully. In extreme cases, the perimeter seal may need to be replaced by a professional garage door technician at John’s Custom Garage Doors. We have perimeter seals available in a variety of colors and sizes.
How Can John’s Custom Garage Doors Help You?
If the summer weather is causing issues with your garage door, make sure to call one of Beaverton’s trusted garage door technicians at John’s Custom Garage Doors. We have decades of combined experience in the garage door industry, and we’ve seen it all! Call today to get started!
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon and across the United States, we are taking every precaution necessary to protect both our employees’ and our clients’ health and safety. We offer contactless service and payment options, and we’re as dedicated now as we ever have been about customer service. Call today for professional garage door repair, maintenance, and installation!