Did Grayslake flooding damage your garage door?

Photo Courtesy of Kim Kreml with Planification Group

These flood waters filled the streets in Grayslake recently and
you can bet they damaged some of the garages and garage doors
in town, as well as other Grayslake property.

The flooding in Grayslake recently has created havoc, inconvenience and expense for many home and business owners in the area. Basements were flooded and, often, the water didn’t stop there. The clean up is a painful and, in many cases, the pain hasn’t stopped. Unfortunately, you may have more pain to face; you may discover that the flooding damaged your garage door, too.

If your garage door is made of wood, the wood panels may have soaked up the water and now they’re soft and enlarged. You may notice the panels separating. Sometimes, you’ll notice unpainted areas around the inner panels. This is a sign that the panels are coming apart. If this is the case, chances are, you’ll have to replace the damaged panels.

If your garage doors are made of vinyl, or some other water impervious material, you may not have to worry about having to replace panels. However, these panels are often insulated and the Grayslake flooding may have ruined the insulation in your garage door panels.

Another problem is the havoc the flood waters may have created with the garage door hinges and roller bearings. These are parts that should pivot or roll with ease. This is why garage door maintenance includes lubricating the hinges and roller bearings. But, following the flooding, you may find that your hinges and roller bearings are rusting.

Instead of pivoting or rolling with ease, the rust makes them hang up and fight against normal usage. As a result, your garage door may put substantial additional strain on the garage door opener motor, chain and springs. Though your garage door may open and close, in spite of rust in the hinges or roller bearings, with the motor and other parts working harder, those parts may experience excessive wear and could breakdown sooner.

The flood waters may also have damaged the sensors by the floor affecting the operation of your garage door (before you jump to this conclusion, however, make sure that the sensors and clean and properly adjusted).

The floods that hit Grayslake may have damaged your garage door. The flood waters may have damaged the insulation and walls of your garage, too. Whatever the case, while you’re determining how much damage the floods have done at your home or office, don’t neglect to look at the garage, too.