Check your Weather Seal

Checking your garage door’s weatherstripping is the first step you should take because if your weatherstripping is damaged, it’s much more likely to freeze to the surface below. Weatherstripping seals the openings around your garage door. It fits along the bottom of the door helps keep out water and snow. It also helps keep cold air out in the winter, stabilizing the temperatures in your garage and house. To make sure your weather seal is working properly, inspect the weatherstripping for cracks or signs of damage. Close the door and check for any drafts that might be coming through. Lastly, check the bottom of the door for damage. If the weatherstripping is damaged, contact us and we will send a technician out to replace it.

Keep Snow Away from Your Door

Since snow is a major culprit to a freezing door, make sure to clear it away from your garage door as soon as possible. Shovel snow away from your garage door and use a broom to clear as much as you can. Throw down some salt or ice melt to keep the water from freezing. 

Remove Standing Water

Snow that’s brought into your garage will quickly melt if you have an insulated garage door and/or your garage is attached to your house. Use a squeegee to remove as much standing water as possible. Make sure to push it completely out of the garage and away from the door, giving it a path to drain away from your home. This should be done often during the winter months. 

Don’t Bring Snow In

Try to brush off as much snow from your vehicles as possible before parking them inside your garage. Use a broom to clear the top and sides of the vehicle. Don’t forget to clear the wheel wells, where large chunks of snow get impacted behind the tires.

Open and Close Your Door

Snowy, cold weather is the perfect excuse for hunkering down during the winter. But just because you don’t have to leave, doesn’t mean you should raise and lower your residential garage door. Operating your door will help prevent any water or snow you’ve missed from freezing to your weather stripping.

If you’re too late and your garage door is already frozen shut, pull the manual release cord to disengage the door from the opener. If you can, manually open and shut the door to break away any ice. If you can’t open the door at all, use a blow dryer or heat gun (set for minimum heat) to melt the icy sections. Don’t focus on one spot too long. If you don’t have a heat blower, pour very hot water on the frozen areas and quickly open the door. Or, put a space heater in your garage to slowly melt the ice. 

Overhead Door of Sioux City and Overhead Door of Yankton have crews available to troubleshoot any issue with your garage door. Contact us today!