The detached alley garage is the fixture Chicago landlords forget until it fails on the coldest morning of the year. Here is how to service it in late summer so it keeps working all winter.
Drive down almost any residential alley in Logan Square, Ravenswood, or Portage Park and you will see the same thing: block after block of detached garages tucked behind two-flats and greystones. For your tenants, that garage door is a daily-use fixture. They open and close it every time they come and go, and they count on it to protect a car, bikes, tools, and storage from Chicago weather and alley break-ins.
Garage doors fail most often in deep winter, and it is no coincidence. Cold thickens the grease in the tracks and opener, metal contracts, and springs that were already fatigued finally give out on a subzero morning. The worst possible time to discover a problem is when the temperature is below zero and a tenant needs to get to work.
Start with a simple visual and hands-on check. With the door closed, look over the rollers, hinges, tracks, and mounting brackets for loose bolts, worn rollers, and tracks that have been bent by a bumper tap. Tighten the hardware that has rattled loose over a year of daily cycling, and note any roller that is cracked or wobbling so it can be swapped.
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