In the Metro East and southern Illinois, garage doors face more thunderstorms, more hail days and more hot days than the north of the state, with shorter winters. Check hardware and seals after storms, keep the opener and sensors clean in summer, and call a technician for a heavy, crooked or off-track door.
The Metro East weather in plain numbers
The Metro East is the Illinois side of the St. Louis area. It sits in the southwest of the state, where the Illinois State Climatologist reports the most storm activity: thunderstorms average 80 days a year in the southwest, against 60 in the far northeast, and hail falls on about 3.3 days a year in the southwest.
Summers run hotter and winters shorter than in the north. The state page lists just over 40 days a year at or above 90 degrees in the south, against about 10 in the north, and about 80 days at or below 32 degrees in the south, against 140 in the north. Annual precipitation is more than 48 inches in the south.
What storms do to a door
The National Weather Service issues a Severe Thunderstorm Warning when a storm is expected to bring hail of at least 1 inch across or wind of at least 58 mph. Hail dents panels and cracks window inserts. Strong wind can bend a track, loosen a hinge or push a door out of its guides.
If a storm hits, do not run the opener until you have looked at the door. See thunderstorm wind and garage doors for the checks.
What to check by season
| Season | Check | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spring and early summer | Tracks, hinges, bolts, bottom seal, panel dents | This is the stormiest part of the year in the state |
| Summer | Opener, sensors, door balance, quiet and even travel | Hot days load the opener and the sensors |
| Fall | Seals, rollers, remote batteries, leaves in the track | Get ready for the shorter freezing season |
| Winter | Ice under the door, noises, a door that strains | Freezing days are fewer in the south but still happen |
Do these checks from the floor. Do not touch springs, cables or brackets.
Jobs that come up most
The common calls are the same here as anywhere: broken springs, slipped cables, off-track doors, worn rollers, sensors that will not line up and openers that quit. Storm-damaged panels and window inserts are added to the list after hail.
- Garage door repair: an off-track, noisy or crooked door.
- Spring repair: a door that will not lift.
- Opener repair: a motor that runs with no movement.
- New garage doors: dented or creased panels, or a door past repair.
Quick answers
Does hail damage garage doors in the Metro East?
Yes. Hail dents steel panels and cracks window inserts, and the southwest of Illinois has more hail days than the northeast, according to the Illinois State Climatologist.
Do garage doors need less care in southern Illinois than in the north?
Winters are shorter in the south, but storms and heat are harder on a door. The seasonal checks still apply.
When should I call a technician after a storm?
Call if the door is crooked, scrapes, feels heavy or has a broken spring or cable. Do not run the opener until a technician has looked at it.
How often should the door be inspected?
DASMA recommends a monthly check by the owner and a yearly visit from a trained technician.
A heavy or crooked door is a stop sign
A door that is crooked, scrapes, feels heavy or has a broken spring or cable puts extra strain on the springs, cables and opener. Do not adjust a spring or cable yourself, and do not keep pressing the button.
DASMA recommends a monthly test by the owner and a yearly visit from a trained technician. The Illinois maintenance checklist lists both.
Western Illinois is not southern Illinois
Some readers search for southern Illinois and mean the whole lower half of the state. The state climate page splits Illinois into a north and a south, and the numbers above for heat, hail and storm days are the southern ones. If your home is in the middle of the state, the weather sits between the two sets of numbers.
Who to call
Emil Garage Doors repairs garage doors, springs, cables and openers and installs new doors in Illinois, including Belleville, Collinsville and Edwardsville. Call or send your details with a photo of the door, and we book the soonest visit. The final price is confirmed after we see the door.
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Keep reading
Sources
- Illinois State Climatologist: Climate of Illinois (winter, snowfall, thunderstorms, tornadoes and summer heat by region)
- National Weather Service: New damage threat categories for Severe Thunderstorm Warnings (hail and wind thresholds)
- DASMA: Garage Door Systems Safety Tips (annual technician visit, springs, cables and brackets)