There are lots of great things about living near the beach. You get to enjoy daily walks on the sand, feel the sun on your skin and the benefits of all that vitamin D, and the smell of the fresh, salty air. But that salty air also has its downsides when it comes to your home.
How does the coast affect your garage door?
Salty water has a corrosive effect that can impact your garage door and other external elements that are constantly exposed to it. This can cause metal garage doors and other metal elements, such as the tracks, to become rusted and degraded. This affects other exterior parts of your home such as the roof, siding, and HVAC equipment.
The salt and the sand in the air can also cause your garage door’s finish and paint to wear more quickly. And the sunlight results in finishes and paint colors fading quicker as well. Wood garage doors are affected, too, as the high levels of moisture in the air can cause the wood to warp over time as they absorb the moisture and repeatedly expand and contract.
How to protect your garage door
Firstly, it’s important to carefully choose the material for your coastal garage door. If you choose a metal garage door, then aluminum and galvanized steel are better at resisting rust compared to stainless steel. Think about this when selecting smaller components as well, such as your garage door springs. Wood composite is a great choice as this produces the aesthetic of a wood garage door while being more resistant to weather damage. Vinyl garage doors are another good option for coastal locations.
You should also carefully choose the paint or finish for your garage door as some offer more protection than others. You will probably need to refinish your garage door more frequently than you would in non-coastal locations. It’s also important to wash your garage door regularly to prevent the build-up of salt on the surface of the door and its components, helping to reduce its corrosive effects. Preventative maintenance and inspections also become more important, so make sure to book a professional tune-up at least once a year.
If you’re moving to the coast, then make sure you get a new garage door that’s fit for the location. Or if your current coastal home needs an upgrade and regular garage maintenance, then contact Action Overhead Door for our services across Georgia and South Carolina, including Hilton Head Island.