Are you ready for winter? The changing of the seasons is just around the corner, and ensuring your automatic gates are functioning reliably can help you prevent problems. Here’s what you need to know about pre-winter gate maintenance.

5 Simple Things You Can Do Yourself

The better you take care of your automatic gate, the more likely it is to operate smoothly year-round. Fortunately, there are several measures you can take yourself. Complete these five simple tasks before the first snowfall:

1. Clean the gate. Use a damp rag to wipe down your gate and get rid of any built-up residue. Doing this by hand will allow you to notice if there’s flaky paint, rust, or any other problems that need to be addressed.
   
   
2. Touch up the finish. If you have a steel or wrought iron gate, scratches in the coating can expose the gate to rust buildup. If you have a wood gate, imperfections in the paint, stain, or varnish can leave the wood vulnerable to rot and pest infestation. Therefore, before it snows, make sure you touch up any nicks or scratches on your automatic gate.
   
   
3. Tidy the area around the gate. Remove leaves, dirt, and debris from around your gate. This includes the tracks if you have a sliding gate. You should also make a point of trimming back any branches or shrubs that could interfere with your gate’s movement.
   
   
4. Lubricate the moving parts. Your automatic gate should move freely and without friction. Therefore, before winter, make sure you lubricate the chain, pulley, wheels, hinges, and screws. Keep in mind, it’s best to choose a lubricant that can handle very cold temperatures. You should also avoid using petroleum-based lubricants as they attract dust.
   
   
5. Inspect the gate operator. Keep an eye on the seals around your gate operator to ensure they’re in good condition. Doing so before winter will guarantee that insects and other pests won’t get inside your operator and compromise the electrical connections and circuit boards.

When temperatures drop below freezing, the oil in your gate operator’s gearbox can thicken, thereby impeding the movement of your gate. Consequently, if you live in a cold climate, you may want to invest in a gate operator with a heater. Many models come with built-in heaters, making them capable of withstanding temperatures as low as -40 C. Alternatively, you can arrange to retrofit your existing gate operator with a heater or add insulation.

Maintenance That Should Be Left to The Professionals

Mounting, alignment, and mechanical issues must be left to the experts. Fortunately, the team at Creative Door Services™ offers a flexible planned maintenance program. When you sign up for this program, one of our technicians will attend to your automatic gate before winter and perform the following tasks:

• Check all the electrical connections
• Inspect all the mechanical parts and hardware for wear and damage
• Test and adjust the gate’s torque
• Ensure the manual release, obstacle detection, and auto-reverse functions are operating correctly
• Verify that the access control systems are fully functional

The technician will also inspect every aspect of your gate and let you know if they see any problems emerging so they can address them before they become serious. When you invest in planned maintenance, you can rest assured you won’t run into any unexpected problems or breakdowns in winter.

Why choose Creative Door?

For over 50 years, Creative Door Services™ has provided residential and commercial customers with exceptional door and gate products and services. Our professionalism and superior products set us apart from the competition. Here are just a handful of reasons why you should put your trust in our team:

• Many of our technicians are Canadian Door Institute certified, first aid trained, aerial lift platform certified, and we’re ISNetworld certified
• We’re COR certified, WCB compliant, and BBB A+ accredited
• We provide excellent in-house technical support
• We offer a 30-day labour guarantee
• We offer 24-hour emergency repair services at most locations

We also have one of the most extensive product and part selections in Western Canada.

Automatic Gate Experts in Western Canada

If you need help maintaining your automatic gate system, turn to the experienced team at Creative Door Services™. On top of providing custom residential and commercial gate solutions, we also offer installation, maintenance, and repair services.

If you have any questions about our products and services, contact one of our eight branches in Western Canada today. We have locations in Kelowna, British Columbia; Vancouver, British Columbia; Calgary, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta; Fort McMurray, Alberta; Regina, Saskatchewan; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; and Winnipeg, Manitoba.