Winter Garage Door Problems and How to Avoid Them

Long Island winters vs. upstate winters

Long Island winters are moderated by the ocean and the Sound, but they still bring hard freezes, nor'easters and road salt. Upstate, around the Capital Region, Lake George and the Catskills, winters are longer and colder, with much more snow. Albany averages roughly 60 inches of snow a season, and the hills and mountains around it often get more.

That difference shows up in the problems technicians see. On Long Island, corrosion from salt and coastal air is the big story. Upstate, it is ice, snow load on the bottom seal, and springs that break in deep cold.

Door frozen to the floor

Snowmelt and rain run under the door and freeze the bottom seal to the concrete. When the opener tries to lift the door, it either reverses or tears the seal, and repeated attempts can strip the opener gear or bend the top section.

1. Do not keep pressing the button

   Each attempt strains the opener and the top section of the door.

2. Free the seal gently

   Use a plastic scraper or a hair dryer along the bottom edge. Avoid metal tools that cut the seal, and avoid pouring hot water, which refreezes.

3. Prevent it next time

   Shovel snow away from the door, keep the floor under it clear, and sprinkle a little sand or ice melt where water collects. A fresh bottom seal makes a better barrier.

Springs snapping in a cold snap

A spring that is already near the end of its cycle life often breaks on the first very cold morning. There is no way to prevent it entirely, but a fall tune-up will tell you if your springs are tired, and you can plan a replacement instead of being stuck. If one breaks, do not use the opener to lift the door. See broken spring repair.

Opener struggles in the cold

• Thick lubricant in the tracks, rollers and opener drive makes the motor work harder. Use a cold-rated garage door spray, not heavy grease.
• Some openers have a force setting that needs adjusting between seasons. Do not turn it up to overpower a binding door: that disables the safety reverse.
• Battery backups lose capacity in the cold. If yours is several years old, test it before winter storms.

Road salt and rust

Every time a wet, salty car pulls into the garage, salt water drips onto the floor at the bottom of the door, right where the bottom brackets and lift cables attach. Over a few winters that is enough to rust cable ends and brackets. Hosing down the floor in a thaw and having the cables checked once a year helps. Near the coast, salt air adds to it. See salt air and wind on coastal Long Island.

Keeping snow and ice away from the door

Most winter garage door problems start at the floor. Snow that drifts against the door melts on sunny afternoons, runs under the seal and refreezes overnight. Plows and snowblowers also leave a ridge right in front of the door. After each storm, clear a strip at least a foot wide along the outside of the door, and break up any ice ridge before it hardens.

Inside, knock snow off the car before driving in when you can, or park so meltwater runs away from the door. A rubber threshold or a slightly thicker bottom seal can stop water from pooling under the door. Ice melt is fine on the driveway, but keep heavy rock salt off the door itself and the bottom brackets.

Heating a garage safely

A warmer garage is kinder to the door, the opener and the car. If you add heat, use equipment designed for garages and installed to the maker's instructions. Never run an unvented fuel-burning heater, a generator or a car in a closed garage. Carbon monoxide builds up quickly and can seep into an attached house, and New York requires carbon monoxide alarms in homes for that reason.

Keypads, remotes and batteries

Cold weather saps battery power. Keypads mounted outside are the first to suffer, followed by remotes left in cold cars. If the keypad stops responding in a cold snap, try fresh batteries, and consider lithium cells, which hold up better in the cold. If a remote works only near the door, the battery is the first suspect. See remotes and keypads.

A five-point winter checklist

• Watch the door run and listen for new noises
• Lubricate hinges, rollers and springs with a garage door spray
• Check the bottom seal for cracks and gaps
• Test the auto-reverse with a 2x4 under the door
• Book a technician if the door is heavy, jerky or crooked

Winter storms and power outages

Ice storms and heavy, wet snow bring down power lines across upstate New York, and nor'easters do the same on Long Island. An outage on a frozen morning is the worst combination: the opener is dead and the door may be stuck to the floor. Free the bottom seal first, then use the emergency release and lift the door by hand, as long as the springs are intact.

If you lose power several times a winter, an opener with battery backup is worth considering, and an outside emergency release helps if the garage has no side door. Our guide on opening a garage door without power covers the steps.

Check for winter damage in spring

Once the snow is gone, take ten minutes to look over the door for damage the winter left behind:

• Tears, cracks or flat spots in the bottom seal from freezing to the floor
• Rust on the bottom brackets, cable ends and the lowest hinges from road salt
• Dents in the bottom section from snowbanks, shovels or plow ridges
• New cracks or heaving in the floor or apron that leave gaps under the door
• An opener that now reverses or stops short, which can mean the limits shifted

Most of these are small fixes if caught in spring, and much bigger ones if left until the next winter.