Here at Neighborhood Garage Door Service of Bay Area, CA wants to share with you how to unstick your garage door if it is frozen. If you didn’t know, during harsh winters, your door can actually seal shut from ice and snow. This poses a great problem if you are in need of getting out to go to work.
If your door is stuck, and you need to break it free, here are some things you can do to try and open it.
Remove all Snow and Ice
As much as possible, remove the snow and ice from around the door. Use a snow shovel to clear away all ice from the bottom of the garage door. There are some other things you can try to remove the stubborn ice:
- Blow a heat gun or hair dryer along the bottom of the door.
- Use a scraper or hammer to gently bust up the ice.
- Pour boiling water on the stubborn areas. (It is important to note that this will cause the area to be slippery once the water re-freezes.)
Whatever you need to do, be sure to get as much of the ice and snow away from the bottom of the door as possible.
Pull the Emergency Release
The motor in the opener is not designed to have additional strain when opening the door. For that reason, it is best to manually open it in the event that it becomes frozen shut.
In order to manually open your overhead door, you will need to pull the emergency release cord. This is a cord that is attached to a pulley that is on the track. Usually, it has a red handle at the bottom of it that will alert you that it is used in case of emergency.
Once you have pulled the cord and released the pulley, you can try to raise the door. It may require more than one person to help you push it open if the ice is very thick.
Clear Away The Rest of the Snow and Ice
After you get your equipment opened, you will need to do some additional cleanup. It is important to use your snow shovel and broom if need to be to sweep away the snow and ice that is left behind. Otherwise, you will likely wake up the next day to a door that is frozen shut.
Re-Connect The Emergency Release
When you feel that you have broken your door free enough to use the opener, then you will need to re-connect the emergency release. In order to do this, pull the cord so that the pulley follows. Pull it back towards the opener. When you open the door again, it should re-connect itself.
Call Us For Assistance
If you simply cannot get your door unstuck, call Neighborhood Garage Door Service of Bay Area, CA to help you. Our team of certified technicians can assist you in breaking free the ice and snow. This is of course our techs can take the roads to your house. Do not hesitate to contact us so that we can make an evaluation and provide you with a solution.
