How to Fix a Frozen Garage Door

Woke up to a garage door that does not open because it’s frozen to the ground?

Not the surprise you were looking for when trying to get out of the garage.

With certain winter and freezing conditions garage doors can freeze from the bottom of the door to the ground.

Here are some tips on how to thaw your frozen garage door so you can get out of your garage and on to work on time this morning.

Frozen Garage Door Fixes

First a Warning!

Do NOT try to keep opening the door again and again. Attempting to use the automatic opener when the door is frozen can burn out the motor or strip the gears of the machine and cause hundreds of dollars of damage.

1. Check the bottom of the door to make sure it is indeed frozen

There should be water – or now ice – directly under the weather seal/bottom of the door.
Water underneath the door and in contact with the door, can in freezing temperature result in a frozen door.

2. Pour hot water on the area where the garage door is stuck to the ground

Try to open the door right after you pour the water.
Keep in mind that if the outside temperature is still in the single digits/freezing the hot water can quickly turn cold and  freeze.

3. Scrape ice with ice scraper

Bundle up and go outside the garage door with an ice scraper in hand. Gently scrape away ice between bottom of the door and the concrete. If it looks like you are making progress and the door appears to be unstuck, attempt to open the door.

NOTE!
You can attempt to manually open the garage door by releasing the emergency cord – the red plastic handle with the red cord. You can then manually attempt to open the garage door, this is by using your body as leverage to lift the door.

If the door doesn’t budge, don’t try kick the door or use too much of your own physical force to try to open it, you could hurt yourself and damage the door.

4. Use a heat gun to melt away ice

Do you have a heat gun in your toolbox? If you do, grab the heat gun and aim it at the bottom of the garage door, moving it along the bottom edge. This process of melting the ice can be a bit slower, but it should get the door unstuck.

IMPORTANT!

Once you have successfully opened the door but there is still water on the concrete (and freezing temperatures) the door may freeze again when closed.

If possible and safe, leave the door open just enough so that the bottom of the door doesn’t touch the ground/water to avoid re-freezing.

To reduce the risk for frozen door check to make sure there is no water sitting at the bottom of the door.

If you are not able to open the garage door and suspect something is broken, give us a call, we can help you! 303.565.6409