Spokane's climate has little in common with Seattle's. East of the Cascades, winters are cold with regular snow, summers are hot and dry, and wildfire smoke sometimes settles over the region in late summer. Big storms leave their mark too: the 1996 ice storm and the 2015 windstorm both caused widespread damage and long power outages.
Housing is varied as well, from historic homes on the South Hill and in Browne's Addition, many with detached garages off alleys, to postwar neighborhoods on the north side and newer subdivisions toward Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and the West Plains.
Choosing a new door for an Inland Northwest winter
Installation is a chance to fix comfort problems as well as curb appeal. For an attached garage, a steel door with a foamed-in polyurethane core is the sensible default: it holds heat better, is stiffer and quieter, and stands up to cold and snow. Compare R-values, but also look at the weatherseals, because a well-insulated door with gaps around it will not do much.
- Insulated steel or composite for attached garages and garages with rooms above.
- Carriage-house or traditional raised-panel styles for South Hill and other older homes.
- Windows in the top section for daylight, with insulated glass.
- Struts and properly rated hardware on wide doors exposed to wind.
Snow and ice at the threshold
Snow drifts against the door, softens on a sunny afternoon and locks up again after dark, cementing the bottom seal to the concrete. Driving the opener against a door frozen in place can strip its gears or rip the seal. Shovel the threshold clear, loosen a stuck seal patiently, and swap out a cracked one before the first hard freeze.
Deicer residue carried in on tires slowly corrodes the lower section, the bottom brackets and the cables, so hose the floor down occasionally and have those parts looked at once a year.
Openers for cold garages
Low temperatures thicken grease and drain batteries, and an opener that is marginal in July can quit in January. If you are installing a new one, a DC motor with soft start and battery backup copes well in a cold garage, and a low-temperature lubricant on the door's moving parts helps everything run smoothly. Given the region's history of long storm outages, that battery backup earns its place.
Detached garages and older homes
Older neighborhoods have many detached garages, some with original doors and light framing. Converting a manual or one-piece door to an insulated sectional door with an opener is a common upgrade. Low-headroom track hardware or a wall-mount opener helps where ceilings are low, and the framing around the opening may need reinforcement before a heavier insulated door goes in.
Summer heat and smoke season
Summers can turn hot, and wildfire smoke may linger for days. Keep the garage door closed during smoke events and make sure the perimeter seals are tight so smoke and dust stay out. The dry months are also the right time to paint or seal wood doors and trim before winter returns.
Last updated by the American Garage Door Team.