Your Garage Door Is Not a Snowplow

Every Michigan homeowner eventually does it.

You wake up.

It snowed overnight.

You are already late.

And instead of properly clearing the area around the garage door, you briefly consider hitting the opener and letting engineering solve the problem.

Please don't.

Your garage door has a job.

Snow removal is not it.

Clear snow away from the bottom seal

Snow and ice can build up where the garage door meets the driveway.

If that moisture freezes, the bottom seal may become stuck to the ground.

Trying to force the door open can damage the seal and put unnecessary stress on the opener and door components.

If the door appears frozen shut, stop.

Clear away the snow and ice first.

Do not repeatedly hit the opener

We know.

Maybe the second button press will convince it.

It will not.

If the garage door starts to move and then stops, reverses or sounds strained, repeatedly cycling the opener can turn a smaller issue into a larger one.

Investigate what is blocking or restricting the door before trying again.

Keep the sensors clear

Snow, slush, salt and winter debris can accumulate near the bottom of the garage opening.

Your safety sensors live down there too.

If the door suddenly refuses to close, check whether something is blocking the sensor path or whether the sensor lenses are dirty.

Sometimes the dramatic garage-door crisis is actually a two-minute cleaning job.

Check the weather seal

The bottom seal helps keep snow, wind and debris out of the garage.

If it is cracked, brittle or missing sections, winter will find those gaps.

Because winter is extremely committed.

Look around the sides and bottom of the closed door and note any places where you can see daylight or obvious gaps.

If the garage door itself has reached replacement territory, companies such as doorLink Manufacturing offer insulated residential doors in a variety of styles.

For opener upgrades and smart-access options, LiftMaster is another manufacturer worth exploring.

Give the door some respect

Garage doors are large, heavy moving systems.

If something sounds wrong, looks wrong or isn't operating normally, do not try to muscle it into submission.

Have it inspected.

Your December morning is already stressful enough.

You do not need to add “garage door disaster” between “scrape windshield” and “find missing glove.”

Clear the snow.

Protect the seal.

Then open the garage.

In that order.

Call or text us now for a free quote:

Call Now: (248) 399-9900

Text Us: (248) 453-6435