6 Ways To Prevent A Frozen Garage Door
Have you ever experienced the frustration of waking up to find your garage door frozen shut? If so, you know how inconvenient and time-consuming a frozen garage door can be.
If your garage door is not opening, it’s worth investigating whether it needs some minor tweaking or a complete repair job from a garage door specialist.
The good news is that there are a few simple ways for you to prevent a frozen garage door. With a bit of preparation and maintenance, you can ensure that your garage door stays working properly all winter long!
Keep The Snow And Water Away
Before temperatures drop below freezing, it’s best to remove any water, ice, and snow that has accumulated around the threshold of the garage door. Detecting these concerns early can prevent future issues. Almost all cases of a garage door being frozen shut are due to improper drainage. If water or ice are accumulating near your garage door there is a very good chance you will find your door frozen shut at some point so you need to take steps to ensure water drains away from your garage door.
Water and ice can cause damage to door sections, the metal tracks and the seals of your garage door. The primary damage water accumulation causes is rusting. Invest in a floor squeegee and regularly push out any standing water. Make sure to keep the garage door open while you scrape, sweep, or shovel.
Regularly Maintain Your Garage Door
Keeping your garage door and opener in good working order requires regular maintenance. To avoid a frozen garage door, you should stay on top of maintenance all year round. This is especially true during the winter months, when the harsh weather can be especially brutal.
In cold weather, make sure you inspect your entire system—the tracks, hinges, rollers, and springs—for any signs of wear or damage that could interfere with proper operation. If anything looks out of place, have a professional take a look right away before winter arrives.
Open And Close The Door
Your instinct may be to stay inside when the thermostat drops, but make sure you don’t neglect your garage door. Regularly operating the door will help avoid any build-up of snow or ice around the weather stripping.
If your garage door is already stuck, you can use the manual release cord to disconnect it from the opener. Open and close the door manually a few times to clear any ice that may be preventing it from functioning properly. If the door has become frozen to the ground you may need to use a metal shovel or prybar to break it free from the ice. When you’ve finished, simply tug the cord towards the doorway again to reconnect it with the opener.
Sprinkle Some Sand
You read that right. Layering sand at the base of a garage door can be an effective solution for preventing a frozen door. If you have a steel door do not use salt as it is very corrosive.
The layer should be placed where the bottom edge of the door comes into contact with the ground, such as along any cracks or crevices that may exist between concrete or asphalt sections.
Warm Up Your Car Outside
Even though it’s tempting to warm up your car in the garage, don’t do it. Even if you open the door, carbon monoxide can still reach hazardous levels.
Additionally, heat from the vehicle will cause the snow and ice around your garage door to thaw. You will quickly see those puddles refreeze as soon as you leave if your garage isn’t heated.
Final Thoughts
Preventing a frozen garage door is essential to keeping your door in tip-top shape all year long. With the steps we have provided, you should be able to keep your garage door operating safely and efficiently throughout the winter.
If you are in the Calgary area and in need of advice or service regarding your garage door, The Door House has you covered. We have over 25 years of experience providing top-notch repair, maintenance, and opener repair and tuning services.
For more details about our services, you can reach us by phone at 403-543-6900 or request a free quote online!