Garage door frozen to the ground

How a garage door freezes to the floor

The bottom of a garage door has a flexible rubber or vinyl seal that squashes against the floor to block drafts, water and pests. That tight fit is what you want most of the year. In winter, snow and slush drip off cars and blow in under the door. Water pools at the threshold, soaks into the seal, and freezes overnight, gluing the seal to the concrete. A dip in the floor right at the door makes it worse, because water collects there.

Your opener can't tell the door is frozen. It just pulls. Depending on the model, it may stop and reverse, hum and stall, or keep pulling until something gives. That something is often the seal, which can tear off its retainer, or a worn drive gear inside the opener. The springs above the door do most of the lifting, so a door that's only frozen feels light once the bottom lets go. A door that feels heavy all the way up has a different problem, usually a spring or cable.

What freezes a garage door shut

Let's fix it

1. Stop the opener and look before you pushIf the door didn't move, or it rose a few inches and stopped, don't press the button again. An opener pulling against a frozen door can strain the motor, wear out the drive gear, or tear the rubber seal off the bottom. Look along the bottom edge from inside. If you see ice or packed slush around the rubber strip, the door is frozen to the floor; go to Step 2. Now look up at the springs above the door and the cables beside it. If a spring has a gap in it, a cable hangs loose, or the door sits crooked, stop here. That's a job for a garage door pro, not an ice problem.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • The opener keeps humming or clicking Unplug the opener so it can't keep trying. If it still won't run after the door is free, see the guide for a garage door opener not responding.

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2. Pull the release and test the door by handOnly do this with the door fully closed. With it shut, the springs hold the weight and the door can't drop. Unplug the opener first. Pull the red emergency release cord straight down, toward the floor, until the trolley on the rail lets go of the door arm. If your door has a slide lock on the inside, make sure it's unlocked. Now grip the handle at the bottom and lift gently. A door that's only frozen will feel stuck at the bottom edge, then lighter once it pops free. If it feels very heavy all over, stop; a spring may be broken. Never pull the release cord when the door is open or half open.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • The door won't budge at all Don't pry it up with a bar or yank the handle. Go to Step 3 and loosen the ice first.
   • The door opens partway and won't stay up Lower it gently and keep hands clear. A door that won't hold its place may have a spring problem; call a pro.

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3. Break the ice with a plastic scraperWork from inside the garage. Slide a plastic scraper or a plastic putty knife along the floor, right where the rubber seal meets the concrete. Keep the blade flat on the floor and push it in under the edge of the ice, not into the rubber. Work slowly from one side to the other. Chip away loose ice from the floor in front of the seal, too. Then try lifting the door by hand again. Skip metal chisels, ice picks, screwdrivers and hammers here. They can slice the seal, dent the bottom panel, or gouge the floor. If the seal is glued down along its whole length, go on to Step 4 and add some heat.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • Chunks of rubber come off with the ice Stop scraping that spot and use heat instead. A torn seal will need replacing once the weather allows.

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4. Soften the ice with gentle heatA hair dryer on high heat, or a heat gun on its lowest setting, works well here. Plug it into a GFCI outlet, keep the cord out of any meltwater, and wear dry gloves. Hold the nozzle a few inches from the seal and keep it moving back and forth. Don't park it in one spot; too much heat can warp a vinyl seal or blister the paint. Work along the bottom a foot or two at a time, then try the door by hand. Never use a propane torch, a weed burner or any open flame in a garage. Fuel, cars and stored stuff make that a fire risk.
   Done

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5. Use warm water or ice melt with careWarm tap water melts ice fast, but it only helps if you can clear it away. Pour a little along the seal, then lift the door and push the water out with a floor squeegee right away. In hard cold, leftover water refreezes, sometimes worse than before. Never use boiling water; it can crack cold concrete. A concrete-safe ice melt, such as calcium magnesium acetate, can loosen ice on the floor in front of the door. Sprinkle it on the floor only, not on the door. Some door makers warn that ice melt can damage metal doors. Sweep up leftovers once the door is free.
   Done

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6. Dry it, reconnect, and stop the next freezeOnce the door is free, lift it by hand and leave it open while you work. Sweep or squeegee every bit of slush and water off the threshold. Dry the floor and the rubber seal with old towels. Then spray a light coat of silicone spray on the seal and wipe off the extra; skip WD-40 here. Lower the door by hand, plug the opener back in, and press the button. On many openers the trolley reconnects itself as it travels; check your manual. Finally, test the safety reverse. If the opener hums but won't move the door, or the door runs crooked, stop and call a pro.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • The door won't reverse when it touches an object Don't use it until that's fixed. See the guide for a garage door that won't close for safety sensor and force checks.

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Watch it done

How to Keep a Garage Door From Freezing in the Winter & How to Fix a Frozen Garage DoorBy Continental Door Company on YouTube. Their method may vary a little from ours.

Watch on YouTube

If it comes back

If the door freezes down night after night, water is reaching the seal. Knock snow off the car before you pull in, and push slush out of the threshold before evening. A floor squeegee by the door makes this a quick habit. If the seal is torn, flattened or cracked, it lets in more water; see how to replace a garage door bottom seal.

If the opener won't respond or only hums after the ice is gone, the cold may have affected the opener rather than the door. See the guide for a garage door opener not responding. If the door starts to close and then goes back up, check the guide for a garage door that won't close.

If water pools in a dip at the door again and again, the floor or the driveway may slope the wrong way. A concrete contractor can look at it. Meanwhile, keep the outdoor apron clear too; see how to melt ice without damaging concrete.