A garage saves time in winter: the car stays dry and there is no glass to scrape. But if the garage door itself has frozen, the morning becomes an ordeal. Ice usually forms in the lock, on the bottom seal resting on the ground, and in the tracks and linkages of the mechanism. With thaws by day and frost by night, it happens often.
Take your time and avoid brute force: a torn seal or an overloaded opener costs far more than a few minutes of patience.
What you will need
Important: Do not keep pressing the remote if an automatic door will not move: the opener's motor and gearbox can fail. Never chip ice near the seals with metal tools and do not pour boiling water under the door, as it will refreeze into an even thicker layer.
Step 1
Thaw the lock
If the key will not go in or turn, there is ice in the cylinder. Insert the WD-40 Smart Straw into the keyhole and give a short burst. The product works between metal and ice and displaces moisture. After a minute, gently turn the key back and forth without force, and repeat if needed.
For thick ice, a few minutes of warm air from a hair dryer helps.
Step 2
Free a manual door
If the lock opens but the door or sectional panel will not budge, the mechanism or seal has frozen. Try short, careful tugs without excessive force. Once the door is open, immediately treat the linkages, rollers, pivots and hinges with WD-40 Multi-Use so they do not freeze again overnight.
Step 3
Use the emergency release on an automatic door
If the opener fails on the first attempt, stop pressing the remote. Use the emergency release (usually a cord with a handle on the opener carriage, or an external release lock) to disconnect the door from the motor and lift it by hand. Follow the opener's instructions. Reconnect the carriage once everything has thawed.
Step 4
Release a frozen bottom seal
The bottom rubber edge often freezes into a puddle or snow on the threshold. Brush away the snow and melt the ice along the edge with warm air from a hair dryer or fan heater. Use a plastic scraper to lift ice from the floor, not from the rubber. Then raise the door and wipe the seal dry.
Step 5
Clear the tracks of sliding and sectional doors
On sliding gates and doors, ice and debris collect in the bottom track. Remove snow, leaves and twigs, melt the ice and treat the rollers and track with WD-40 Multi-Use. On roller and sectional doors, spray between the slats and into the section hinges so the door runs freely.
Step 6
Give the door a winter service
To stop it happening again, clean the door and mechanism before the frosts, lubricate all moving parts with WD-40 Multi-Use and treat the rubber seals with WD-40 Specialist Silicone. Silicone keeps rubber supple and stops it freezing to the frame and floor.
Tip: On the evening before a hard frost, wipe the bottom seal with a cloth carrying a little silicone spray and clear any water from the threshold. The door will open easily in the morning.
What next
Repeat the silicone treatment on seals once a month through winter, and lubricate moving parts with WD-40 at the start and middle of the season. For garage blocks and fleets, the WD-40 5 l with sprayer is the practical choice.
These uses come from the experience of WD-40 users in many countries. Always follow the instructions and warnings on the product label.
More guides in «How to use».