What an Ozarks Ice Storm Does to a Garage Door

Southwest Missouri sits where winter systems tend to arrive as freezing rain. That is a different hazard from snow and it fails doors in a specific sequence.

Three loads at once

Ice adds real weight to the upper sections, builds inside the section joints so the panels cannot articulate as the door folds, and freezes the bottom seal to the slab. Any one of those alone is manageable. Together they mean the opener is asked to lift a heavier, stiffer door that is also glued down.

What actually breaks

Usually a lift cable, because it takes the shock when the door finally releases unevenly. Sometimes the bottom section, which bends where the seal is still stuck. Occasionally the opener drive gear. All three are consequences of forcing it rather than of the ice itself.

The right sequence

Clear ice from along the bottom seal with warm water and a plastic scraper before touching the opener. Check the section joints are not iced solid. Then operate the door once, slowly, and watch it.

Why an old seal makes it worse

A supple seal deforms and releases. A seal that has hardened with age bonds to the ice rather than flexing away from it, and tears instead of letting go. This is the practical argument for replacing a tired seal in the autumn rather than in February.

After the storm

Look at both cables at the bottom fitting and at the bottom section for a bow. Ice damage frequently does not present until the door is used a few more times.

Free estimate — no charge for the visit

Tell us what the door is doing and we will tell you what it normally means in Springfield. Every job is quoted in person and in writing before any work starts.

Call (417) 216-7189 Request a callback