How to Prevent Your Garage Door from Freezing This Winter

With January only round the corner, the mercury has been plummeting recently. That fact brings with it a whole host of issues, not least of all the problem of frost. Frost can put extra strain on your home and garage, causing damage wherever it’s allowed to take hold unchecked. An especially vulnerable part of your home is your garage door, which is why this month we’ll be showing you how to prevent your garage door from freezing this winter.

garage door

Grit Your Driveway

One of the best ways to prevent your garage door from freezing shut is to grit your driveway and the seal under your garage door. For this, regular table salt is suitable to use. Salt reduces the freezing point of water, meaning it can withstand the colder temperatures and remain as a liquid for longer. So if the temperature doesn’t continue to plummet, the salt will ensure nothing freezes around your garage door.

Clear Snow Away

Any and all snowfall should be cleared off of your driveway and especially around your garage. When night falls, the lower temperature will mean the snow will freeze, becoming more compact and harder to disperse in the process. It could also freeze your garage door shut. Gritting your driveway regularly could help stop the snow settling in the first place, but you should keep an eye on it regardless and shovel off any settled snow.

Lubricate the Mechanism

Another great way to prevent your garage door freezing is to lubricate the mechanism again in the runup to winter. Lubricant, like salt, lowers the freezing point of water, making it less likely to freeze solid and jam your garage door. Lubricants like WD40 will do the job, but will also help improve the general functionality of your garage door, too.  

Don’t Warm Your Car Up in the Garage

If you warm your car up in the garage instead of on the driveway, you risk melting any frozen water near to or in your garage. Once you drive off, this frozen water could then refreeze in a more damning position, freezing your garage door shut. To avoid this issue, simply wait to warm your car up outside of your garage.

Open the Door At Least Once a Day

By opening and closing your garage door at least once a day, you can dramatically reduce the chance of it freezing shut. It will stop the garage door from getting stuck to the floor and the metal components of your door inside becoming stuck to one another.

General Maintenance

Above all, the best way for you to ensure that your garage door doesn’t freeze this winter is to maintain responsibly throughout the entire year, then have it serviced before winter hits in earnest. Check out our list of maintenance checks for more information and our Repairs page to find out more about servicing.

 

Dimension Garage Doors have specialised in providing high quality automated and manual garage doors that are reliable and affordable throughout the North West of England for over 20 years. For more information on services including the supplying, installing, maintenance and repairs of garage doors, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.