Why Your Garage Door Won’t Close in the Cold (And How to Fix It Before Christmas)

Table of Contents

1. The Quick Answer: Why Cold Weather Stops Garage Doors
2. Reason #1: Metal Contraction (The Shrinking Track)
3. Reason #2: Fogged Safety Sensors
4. Reason #3: The “Frozen Grease” Problem
5. Don’t Let a Stuck Door Ruin Your Holiday Surprise
6. The “Holiday Tune-Up” Special

The Quick Answer: Why Cold Weather Stops Garage Doors

If your garage door won’t close when the temperature drops, it is usually due to one of three things:

1. Contracting Metal: The metal tracks shrink in the cold, causing friction.
2. Fogged Sensors: Warm air from the garage hits cold air, fogging up the safety sensors near the floor. Wipe them with a soft cloth.
3. Frozen Grease: Old grease hardens into a glue-like substance in freezing temps. Switch to a silicone-based spray.

#1: Metal Contraction (The Shrinking Track)

In Salt Lake City, we deal with extreme temperature swings. When the temperature plummets, metal contracts (shrinks).

Your garage door relies on a precise fit between the rollers and the metal tracks. If the tracks shrink even slightly, it can squeeze the rollers, creating excess friction. The garage door opener interprets this friction as an obstruction (like a child or a pet in the way) and automatically reverses the door as a safety precaution.

The Fix: You may need to slightly loosen the track brackets and adjust the spacing to give the rollers a little more “breathing room,” or lubricate the rollers to help them glide through the tighter space.

Reason #2: Fogged Safety Sensors

This is one of the most common “phantom” problems we see in Utah winters. Your safety sensors (the “photo-eyes”) are located near the floor on either side of the door. They shoot an invisible beam across the opening.

If you have a heated garage, or if you pull a warm car into a freezing garage, the temperature difference can cause condensation to form on the glass lens of the sensor—just like your glasses fogging up when you walk inside from the cold. If the beam is blocked by fog, the door will refuse to close.

The Fix: Before you call for a repair, grab a soft microfiber cloth and gently wipe the lenses on both sensors.

#3: The “Frozen Grease” Problem

Many homeowners (and some inexperienced technicians) use standard heavy grease or thick oil to lubricate garage door openers. While this works fine in July, it is a disaster in December.

In freezing temperatures, heavy grease thickens and becomes sticky—almost like glue. The motor has to work twice as hard to push the screw or chain through this sludge. Eventually, the opener assumes the door is too heavy and shuts down to prevent the motor from burning out.

The Fix: If you see clumps of thick, dark grease on your opener’s rail, wipe it off with a rag. Re-lubricate it with a Low-Temp Lithium Grease or a silicone spray designed for cold weather.

Don’t Let a Stuck Door Ruin Your Holiday Surprise

The last thing you need is a garage door stuck open when you’re trying to hide presents or unload groceries for the big family dinner.

Imagine pulling into the driveway late at night on Christmas Eve, trunk full of gifts, only to find the door won’t open—or worse, it opens and refuses to close, leaving your home exposed to the freezing inversion air and potential theft.

We know that during the holidays, your garage is the “staging area” for everything from hiding bikes to storing extra pies. You need it to work every single time.

The “Holiday Tune-Up” Special

At AAA Garage Door, we are a local family business. We know exactly how stressful the holidays can be without adding home repairs to the list.

If your door is groaning, moving slowly, or reversing for no reason, give us a call before the relatives arrive. We can perform a Holiday Tune-Up where we:

• Adjust the tracks for winter temperatures.
• Clean and align your safety sensors.
• Swap out that sticky old grease for winter-rated lubricant.
• Check your springs (which are more prone to snapping in the cold).

Need help right now?

Don’t wait until the turkey is in the oven. Call AAA Garage Door Inc. at (801) 550-0099. We serve the entire Salt Lake Valley, and we’re here to make sure your holidays are safe, warm, and convenient.