Ottawa winters are notoriously hard on garage doors. When temperatures drop to -20°C or lower, doors that worked fine in September suddenly refuse to open. Here are the 7 most common causes and fixes.
1. Frozen Bottom Seal
The rubber seal at the bottom of your door freezes to the ground overnight. Never force the opener — you'll burn out the motor. Pour warm (not boiling) water along the seal line, wait 2 minutes, then try again. Long-term fix: apply silicone lubricant to the seal each fall.
2. Thickened Lubrication
Standard garage door lubricant turns to paste below -15°C, causing springs, rollers, and hinges to seize. Switch to a low-temperature silicone or lithium-based lubricant rated to -40°C. Apply every October before the cold hits.
3. Metal Contraction
Cold metal contracts. Tracks, springs, and panels all shrink slightly in extreme cold, which can pull components out of alignment. If your door is straining and shuddering, call a technician — forcing it risks snapping a spring.
4. Dead Opener Battery
Cold kills batteries fast. If your remote stops working in winter, replace the battery first — it costs $5 and solves the problem 20% of the time. Keep a spare in your car.
5. Broken Cold-Weather Spring
Springs are more brittle in extreme cold and are far more likely to snap in January than July. If you hear a loud bang, stop using the door immediately and call for service.
6. Sensor Misalignment
Snow and ice can knock the safety sensors at the base of your door out of alignment. Check that both sensor lights are solid (not blinking). If they're misaligned, gently adjust them until both show a steady light.
7. Disconnected Opener
If someone manually opened the door during a power outage and pulled the red emergency cord, the opener is disconnected. Reconnect it by pulling the cord toward the door until you hear a click.
NEED A GARAGE DOOR REPAIR IN OTTAWA?
Same-day service across all Ottawa. Free diagnosis. Upfront pricing. 5.0 ★ Google rating.
Call (613) 617-4238