My Garage Door Is Frozen, Now What?

The first step is to not keep trying to open the garage door continuously. Doing this can actually burn out the motor and strip the gears causing costly damage.

Remove Snow From the Door

Be sure to shovel away any snow or break any ice patches you may see around it. It’s important to clear the area before you attempt to open or fix the problem.

Is it Frozen?

Double check to make sure the bottom of the door is actually frozen and it’s not another issue. If there is water directly underneath the door and freezing temperatures–the door is frozen. Never force the door open as this could cause more damage and/or cause the door to break.

Melt It

Now it’s time to try and melt the ice. There are a handful of ways to do this, but the most common methods are using hot water or a heat gun. When dealing with the hot water method, be sure to be very careful. The hot water will not only melt the ice quickly but if it’s still bitter cold, it could also freeze it again. If you have a heat gun, you can melt the ice this way as well. Although the process is slower, it’s safer and can get the garage door unstuck.

Lastly, if you’re garage door commonly gets stuck from ice, leave the door open just enough so it doesn’t touch the ground with water on it. This will avoid refreezing.

For more information on garage doors, or if you need your garage door inspected, contact the team at Town & Country Door today.