Why Your Garage Door Won't Close in the Cold (and How to Fix It)

Frozen bottom seal

Snow and water collect under the door, then freeze overnight. The rubber seal gets stuck to the concrete. When the opener tries to move the door, it either strains or reverses.

Don't force it with the opener. You can rip the seal or damage the opener. Instead, gently chip the ice away with a plastic scraper, or use a hair dryer or warm (not boiling) water, then dry the area well.

A cracked or flattened seal lets more water under the door, which makes freezing worse. Replacing it starts at $120. See my weather seal page.

Thick or old lubricant

Old grease gets thick in the cold. Rollers and hinges stiffen, the door moves slowly, and the opener senses too much resistance and reverses.

Clean off old gunk and use a garage door lubricant or white lithium spray on the hinges, roller bearings and springs. Keep the tracks clean and dry, not greased.

Safety sensors

The two small sensors near the floor on each side of the door are a common cause. Snow, frost, condensation or a bumped bracket can block the beam, and the door will reverse or refuse to close.

Wipe both lenses and check that the lights on both sensors are on and steady. If one is blinking or off, it may be out of line. Gently adjust it until the light is steady.

Springs

Cold makes steel more brittle, and springs that were already worn are more likely to break in winter. If you heard a loud bang, or the door is suddenly very heavy, a spring may have snapped.

Don't try to fix or adjust springs yourself. They hold a lot of force. Leave the door alone and call a trained tech. More on that in my spring cost guide and on the spring replacement page.

Opener force and travel settings

Openers have settings for how hard they push and where the door stops. When the door gets stiffer in the cold, the opener may decide it's hitting something and reverse.

Adjusting force is something to be careful with. Too much force means the door won't reverse on an obstacle, which is a safety risk. If you're not sure, let me set it and test the safety reverse properly.

If the opener is old or struggling, my opener repair page explains the common fixes.

Quick checklist

Try these in order:

• Check for ice under the door and clear it gently
• Clean the sensor lenses and check both lights are steady
• Look for a gap in the springs above the door, and stop if you see one
• Lubricate hinges and roller bearings
• Try closing with the wall button held down to see if it's a sensor issue

When to call

If none of that works, or you see a broken spring, frayed cable or a door that's crooked, call or text me. I'll tell you the price before I start. My garage door repair page covers the full list of what I fix.

How to prevent it next winter

A little prep in the fall saves a lot of frustration in January. Replace a worn bottom seal before the snow comes. Lubricate the hinges, rollers and springs with a product meant for garage doors. Keep a broom near the door and clear snow and slush away from the bottom edge after storms.

Park so meltwater from the car doesn't run under the door, if you can. And keep the sensors clear of boots, bins and shovels.

A yearly tune-up also catches worn springs and tired rollers before the cold finds them. My winter tune-up guide lists the signs to look for.

If the door is stuck open

If the door won't close and you need to secure the garage, don't keep hitting the button. Check for ice and the sensors first. If the springs and cables look fine, you can hold the wall button down, which on many openers overrides the sensors.

If you see a broken spring or a loose cable, leave the door where it is and call or text me. Trying to force it down can make things much worse.