The possibilities are endless for garage door emergencies during a Northeast Ohio winter. Rain freezes or snow melts and refreezes under your garage door, anchoring it to the ground. Rollers freeze up due to contracting metal or frozen grease, stopping your door’s motion midway. Cables or springs snap due to temperature fluctuations, rendering your door useless.
Regardless of how prepared you are for the winter, garage door emergencies will happen. Aging parts fail, and in extreme weather conditions parts may fail prematurely. When they do, the key is knowing what to do, knowing what NOT to do, and knowing when to call your garage door expert.
Garage door issues – What to do
If your garage door won’t open, gets stuck, or is making a lot of noise, you can safely try to identify the problem by doing the following:
- Check the power to your home and to your garage door opener to be sure connections have not come loose or been damaged.
- Perform a visual check in your garage of springs, cables, rollers, and tracks, looking for cracks, debris, and broken parts.
- If you observe debris or frozen grease, try removing it with a small, sturdy brush after first disengaging the door opener.
- Check the threshold both inside and outside your garage door for ice buildup that could be interfering with door operation.
- If you do not observe broken parts, you can disengage your garage door opener and try opening the door manually.
- If ice appears to be interfering, you may try melting it with a hairdryer or gently tapping the base of the door with a hammer.
Garage door issues – What NOT to do
Some garage door issues are best left to the professionals, as many of the parts are under significant pressure. The team at Above & Beyond Door Systems suggest the following to protect yourself and to avoid causing further damage to your door:
- Do not try to operate a door with a broken spring or cable.
- Do not try to force a door with a bent or damaged track or roller.
- Do not use WD40 to loosen up a frozen roller.
- Do not try to break ice around the base of your garage door by engaging the door opener, as it could burn out the motor.
- Do not enter your garage if the door opener is making unusual noises. Wait for the cycle to finish before investigating.
Call Above & Beyond for 24-hour emergency service
A damaged garage door is not a DIY project. Contact Above & Beyond 24/7 if you are having a problem with your garage door. Broken springs and cables, frozen rollers, bent tracks, door sections damaged by ice, nothing is outside of our expertise. Our technician will be at your home in less than an hour to inspect your garage door and make necessary repairs.
Remember, regular maintenance is your best means of avoiding garage door emergencies. Consider scheduling your garage door checkup now to get through the remainder of this winter and be ready for spring.