Community Chat

[terrier3]

Due to the freezing temps, the back door won't open properly (just the storm door).

I thought it was due to a broken hinge...it's actually because the ground under the cement walkway has risen due to the cold (like an expanding ice cube)...now we can only open the door just enough to wiggle in and out.

Our maintenance man said it's happening all over. He said he went to Burger King and the same thing had happened. They had to take the exterior door off.

We said we will squeak through until the thaw...I don't want to remove the storm door and the extra layer of weather control it provides.

Has this happened to anyone else out there?

[Suziepeach]

Run your hair dryer on high heat around the edges stuck.

[deepwaterdotter]

Would blowing hot air from a hair dryer on the concrete relieve some of the pressure on the concrete?

[brii]

I've never had that happen. I've had snowdrifts that block the door. We come in from the garage anyway.

I don't know what the solution would be. Hope it doesn't damage the cement or make it unstable once it thaws.

[Suziepeach]

Oh I thought there was weather on the concrete along with it rising.. Hmmm that's a good question, deep.. who knows maybe by heating it up, it would go back down a little.. I mean trying wouldn't hurt anything... sorry terrier, I was thinking again.. duh.

[Buck-i-Nana]

My son and dil's driveway and walkway up to their front door has heaved at least an inch the past 2 winters.

[Suziepeach]

terrier, would love to send you our weather at the moment- it's a strange 71 but temps are supposed to start going back down.

[Buck-i-Nana]

On 3/4/2015 deepwaterdotter said:

Would blowing hot air from a hair dryer on the concrete relieve some of the pressure on the concrete?

I doubt that would have any effect as it's the ground beneath the concrete that has frozen and expanded. The heat of the hairdryer would have to heat up the concrete enough to then penetrate down through probably 2 or more inches of frozen ground.

[Suziepeach]

It was just an idea I had about the hair dryer, I am sorry..

[hennypenny]

We used to have that problem in our last house. It was built on black adobe and the ground would swell when soaked. We called a man to shave part of the door to get it to close and he said no, that as the ground dried it would leave a huge gap and render the door useless. We had to wait it out. I think you will have to do the same. Just be sure that you have another safe way to exit your house in case of emergency.