garage doors Chicago il

Chicago Garage Door Tips – Local Chicago Garage Door Repair

As all permanent Chicago residents know, this city is a Mediterranean winter. Chicago’s climate is a temperate marine, with cool, wet winters and warm, relatively dry summers. Hot temperature extremes are enhanced by dry, compressed wind from the west slopes of the Cascades. If you use your garage for anything other than just off-street parking, it’s important to take steps to modulate the temperature in there, as well as inside the living portion of your home. With clever use of your overhead garage door, this can be achieved with minimal effort.

  1. Move The Air Around

Just like inside your house, a breeze makes everything feel better. If your garage has a wall window, open it all the way up, and put a fan in the window so that the breeze blows outside. This might seem counter-intuitive, but by positioning the fan this way, you’ll be sucking the hot air out of the garage allowing cooler air to take its place.

  1. Crack The Door

If you don’t have a wall window in your garage door, consider opening the door just far enough that it creates a one or two foot gap between the edge of the garage door and the ground. Place the fan in this gap, facing outward so that the hot air is directed out of the garage.

  1. Install Insulation In The Ceiling

This is a more involved solution but for those living in Chicago, it might be a smart investment. Insulating the ceiling, as well as the walls, is a great way to regulate the temperature in your garage all year ‘round. As an external room, insulated garages tend to increase the overall energy efficiency of your home as well.

  1. Attach A Roll-Away Awning

Light is heat, and in Chicago, it is warm and dry. One easy way to stop sunshine from cranking up the temperature in your garage is by creating artificial shade. Many homeowners will install a roll-away awning over their garage door so that it can be deployed when the sun is at its brightest.

  1. Paint Or Install A Light-Colored Garage Door

If you’re getting ready to replace your old garage door, think about choosing a lighter color for your new installation. Lighter colors reflect heat while darker colors absorb it. Garages with lighter color doors almost always stay a few degrees cooler than those with dark doors.

  1. Caulk The Windows

If your garage door has windows build into it, make sure to inspect their seals at least once a year. If you notice cracking or gaps, block them up with some caulk to keep the hot air out.

  1. Weatherstripping

Another thing that you should inspect on an annual basis is the weather stripping that should be included at the bottom of your garage door. If it’s missing, cracked, or worn, replace it. This is an easy, inexpensive fix that could go a long way toward keeping it cool in your garage even though it feels like a hundred degrees outside.

Want more tips about how to keep your overhead garage door in tip top shape? Contact Lion Garage Door Repair today.