When winter weather hits, snow, ice, slush, and frigid temperatures can affect your property, including your garage doors. A frozen overhead door will be difficult to open — it may even be so stuck that you won’t be able to access your garage. If you find yourself with a garage door that’s frozen shut, consider the following tips.

How to Open a Frozen Overhead Garage Door

1. Check the Lock

Always check that your garage door is unlocked before attempting to open it. If your console says that it is and you cannot get it to move, give the area a once over to look for any broken components and obstacles that may be interfering with its operation. If everything is okay, it’s probably just sealed with ice and snow.

2. Clear the Snow

To release a frozen garage door and to avoid the problem altogether, make sure you remove ice, snow, and slush as soon as possible. Instead of regular rock salt, use table salt, since this will not corrode parts as easily.

3. Pull the Release

If it seems that the only issues affecting the door are ice, snow, and cold temperatures, use the manual emergency cord to release the door without using the electric opener. By opening and closing the door manually, you’ll loosen any accumulated ice that’s sealing it shut.

4. Heat the Area

When the manual release isn’t enough to disengage the door from ice and snow, you may need to melt the buildup. Frozen precipitation may be outside the door or even under it in the tracks. A blow dryer will do the trick, but make sure to move the heat continually so you aren’t over one area for too long. You may also use a space heater or dump boiling water over the ice, but make sure to open the door before it freezes again.

5. Don’t Force It

Prying open your doors forcefully may damage parts, particularly the weather seal. If you apply too much force, you may end up with doors that don’t work at all and a need for costly repair. Avoid running the opener repeatedly to break the ice since this can burn out the electrical components.

For help with your garage doors this winter and all year round, trust Kalispell Overhead Door Service, Inc. Located in Kalispell, MT and serving Flathead County, these licensed and insured experts offer high-quality results for everything from garage door installations to security improvements for your residential and commercial doors. They also offer a variety of door styles, as well as parts and accessories. Call (406) 755-4120 for an estimate or visit them online to learn more about their products.