Garage Door Snow Removal Tips & Tricks

Published on January 26, 2021

Your garage door is an investment. While it provides convenient access to your garage, you still need to take care of the door even in the winter. When winter arrives, snow can start to pile up outside your garage door and affect how the door operates and functions.

Why Do I Need to Worry About Snow?

Most people do not think about how snow affects their garage door. Their vehicle or whatever they store is safely inside the garage, protected from the snow. Yet, what they do not think about is how snow can cause damage to their garage doors.

When snow piles up, it can freeze to the garage door, preventing it from moving correctly. If you attempt to use your automatic opener to open the door, it can place excess strain on the door. The added weight could cause the door to shift off its track or even cause an imbalance of weight distribution on the door.

Next, as the snow melts, water can get in between small openings and gaps around the door and in between the door panels. If the water freezes and turns into ice, it expands. This expansion can damage rubber and vinyl seals and cause them to crack and harden. The ice can also slowly cause openings and gaps around the door to become larger.

So, you need to make sure your garage door is ready for winter with these snow removal tips and tricks.

#1: Clear away snow before opening the door.

Make sure to shovel the snow next to the garage door and use a snow brush to remove any snow on the door.

#2: Check for ice around the door before opening it.

If there is ice around the door, do not use your automatic opener. The motor has to work harder to break the door away from the ice. It is better to open the door manually.

#3: Remove snow from the threshold before closing the door.

Remove any snow that will be under the door when it is closed. If you don’t, the snow could melt and freeze into ice, causing the door to be stuck closed.

#4: Keep a clear space of a few feet clear of snow and ice in front of the garage door.

Even if you have no plans to leave your home during a major snowstorm, you will still want to spend time keeping the space in front of the garage clear of snow and ice.

#5: Upgrade to a garage door with weather-resistant features.

If your garage door is older and snow and ice are a common problem, it is time for a new garage door with winter weather-resistant features like R-W’s Neufoam™ insulation or our Weatherlock™ weather seal system and our tight section joint.

To shop for new garage doors for your home, please feel free to browse our selections online at Richards-Wilcox Doors. If you have further questions, want a free quote for a new garage door, or the location of an authorized dealer in your area, do not hesitate to contact us directly today!