As summer turns into fall and temperatures continue to drop through winter, homeowners have to consider the maintenance, replacements and upgrades that need to be made throughout the house to prepare for cold weather, snow, wind and all of the other strains the chilly climate brings for half the year.

The vast majority of these improvements needed to get ready for a colder, damper and harsher season than what the summer has to offer are related to the comfort of the home's inhabitants and energy efficiency in keeping the home warm despite the most frigid conditions going on outside.

One of the biggest elements of the home that needs to be considered for maintenance at this time is the garage door and its opener, with Jammer Doors being a prime provider for this necessary maintenance throughout the area.

"The biggest [priority] is preparing for the cold weather. Make sure that you're checking the alignment of the door and checking the tracks of it so that the door opens and closes properly. That's important for making sure that there's no issues with the cold coming in once the weather start getting colder," says Sarah Jammer, legal compliance director for Jammer Doors.

The main concerns for fall maintenance with garage door openers are functionality and safety, which means ensuring that the photo eyes on operators are clean and clear of leaves and debris, which can disrupt the opening and closing of the door.

Besides ensuring everything opens and closes properly to keep out drafts and improve energy efficiency, safety is a main concern, as cold weather can exacerbate existing issues within the door's structures. The operator's track needs to be inspected by the homeowner or a professional to check for dents, damage or to see if the track needs to be lubricated to be readied for the winter ahead.

"A lot of times fall and winter can be a busier season in the Northeast because of the snow and the change in temperature that can cause a lot of spring and cable breaks if they're not properly taken care of, so it's just always a great time to make sure that they're up to date and there's no issues with it. That's one of the reasons why fall maintenance is really important," Jammer says.

Besides the garage, the house's other doors and windows should also be checked for any issues, such as whether the windows lock properly.

"The main thing, especially in the Northeast, is checking and preparing for colder weather, so older windows might have issues with retaining heat and that will impact energy efficiency," Jammer says.

Entrance doors at the front, back and side of the house should also be inspected for their own alignments to make sure there are no gaps between each door and its jamb, which could let in cold drafts and decrease the comfort of those within the home.

"That way it really focuses on retaining that energy efficiency and helping with heat retention when it comes to wintertime," Jammer says.

As Jammer Doors knows that maintenance and replacements for different door and window parts and features are needed at this time of year, the company is holding a fall sale, which begins on Sept. 26 and ends Oct. 6.

The sale covers their Provia and Raynor products, offering a 15% discount on entrance, garage and slider doors, and windows, though operators and storm doors are excluded from the sale.

"We provide preventative maintenance to come out and just double check to make sure everything's operating smoothly. And then, if there are any issues with their garage door and entrance door, we can provide recommendations. And if they want to move forward with that, they can," Jammer says.

Jammer Doors
Lawrenceville and Yardley
(609) 883-0900
JammerDoors.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 26, Issue 3 (Fall 2026)
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