While Game of Thrones might not be back on television until April, the drop in temperature has made one thing abundantly clear: Winter is coming.
*cue my salty, salty tears
Whether we like it or not, cold weather is on the way and recently we were asked,
“Is there anything I can do to prepare my door and lock hardware for the cold months ahead?”
Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to ensure your door and lock hardware is ready to brace for the havoc that cold weather can wreak.
Cold Weather Prep for Door and Lock Hardware
Weather Stripping
Weather stripping is a huge help when it comes to protection against cold rain and snow. Weather stripping keeps moisture away from your interior and that, in return, keeps your doors and lock hardware in better shape much longer.
If your weather stripping has become, well, weathered, you might want to look into replacing it. Faulty weather stripping not only lets moisture in, it can also let cold air seep in during those winter months.
Dirt and Debris
These two things probably aren’t top-of-mind when you think about all you can do to winterize your door and lock hardware for the upcoming cold weather months. However, these two things are actually pretty important in the process.
Dirt and debris can easily pile up in the strike cavity of your door strikes. When this happens, the latch doesn’t fit securely in the cavity and that can lead to more cold air leaking in from the outside.
You’ll be faced with higher heating bills along with possible damage to your doors and locks from moisture coming in from the outside. This is an easy fix and doesn’t require any specific tools. Just use whatever you can get your hands on to dig around in the strike cavity and clear away all of the dirt and debris.
Latch and Strike
Dirt and debris aren’t the only things that can cause your door to not latch properly. It’s very common for the cavity of the strike to not be drilled deep enough for the latch to fit securely inside. If the latch isn’t secure, it can wiggle free with a little extra help from the wind.
If this is the case in your facility, you can simply drill the strike cavity a little deeper to provide a better home for the latch. This will reduce the ability for the door to swing open on its own and in return, you’ll keep your heating costs down.
Slip Hazards
Slip hazards can cost you in more ways than one. If your doorways aren’t secure and moisture sneaks in, you can be headed for a world of hurt. Not only do you and your employees or patrons run the risk of falling and bruising your ego and/or your backside, if it does happen to be an employee or customer who falls, you have the risk of a lawsuit on your hands if you didn’t have the area properly marked.
Granted, you could slap up a “Wet Floor” sign wherever you think it might be needed, but let’s be honest, that doesn’t look the best nor does it solve the problem. Before the winter months roll in, do a thorough check of your facility to see if you have any possible slip hazards. Once they’ve been identified, figure out what you need to do to fix the area. If it’s an ill-fitting door or weather stripping, those issues can be fixed to eliminate the slip hazard.
While we can’t stop winter from arriving (and hey, some people actually enjoy cold weather) we can prepare our facilities for the upcoming winter months. Do you have any questions on how to winterize your hardware? Give us a shout and we’ll be more than happy to help!