Winter weather brings holiday joy – but not necessarily for parking structure owners and operators.
Storms can cause slippery conditions. Snow and ice removal are constant challenges. And doors – which provide safety and security in busy urban areas – need to be in excellent operating condition to keep the flow of traffic moving smoothly.
Fortunately, today’s high-performance doors are up to the challenge.
Keep Your Doors in Optimal Running Condition
Today’s high-performance doors open and close quickly, minimizing incursion by wind-blown snow and rain.
They also provide improved safety and security compared to older doors. During the holiday season, many commercial parking structures experience significant traffic increases. Vehicle thefts and muggings also tend to increase. Users of parking structures appreciate doors that open and close quickly, minimizing the chances of unauthorized people gaining access to them.
They also don’t want their vehicles to get stuck inside the structure if the door goes down – and stays down. Reliability is a must!
Winter Checklist: Door Motors
- Before the snow flies, check the motors of your parking structure doors. Make sure they’re in excellent working condition. Watch them closely through several open-close cycles. Listen for any unusual noises. Your doors should close and seal completely, so they keep as much of the cold air as possible outside.
- Check the door motor gearbox fluid level. Look for a plug located on the lower section of the gearbox. Properly lubricated components are a must, especially during cold weather!
Door Seals
High-performance doors used in parking structures are equipped with seals on the sides and bottom that form a tight enclosure when they’re closed. They help minimize cold air from entering the parking structure and provide a more comfortable environment for visitors and residents.
Winter Checklist: Door Seals
- Check the condition of your door seals. Look for any missing or damaged seals and replace them as needed.
- Pay close attention to the bottom door seal. During the winter, it gets exposed to water, ice, de-icing compounds plus fluids that drip off of vehicles as they enter and leave the parking structure.
Access Control Systems
Modern high-performance doors can be paired with access control systems that provide a variety of options for accessing commercial parking structures. From Bluetooth key fobs to smartphone apps, these systems ensure that users can access their parking structure with a minimum of fuss during inclement winter weather.
A blinding blizzard? Freezing rain? Temperature 15 degrees below zero? No problem. With most access control systems, users don’t even need to roll down their car window to gain access to the parking structure.
Winter Checklist: Access Control
- Test the system yourself, as if you’re a user entering the parking structure. Does the access control system recognize you quickly and open the door immediately? If there are any problems, now is the time to discover them – not when it’s ten degrees below zero!
The users of your parking structure have high expectations. But they’re even higher during the long, cold winter months. When they arrive at your parking structure after driving in sometimes challenging conditions, they can’t wait to enter its warm, secure environment. It’s a respite from the storm.
Make sure your parking structure doors are ready for the challenging weather ahead. The users of your parking structure will thank you for it!
