Frozen Pop Door

[Bodhisan]

I've got a pop door that we use an outside rope to pull to open (an idea I stole from a YouTube video - you can see it in the lower left portion of my avatar picture) so that we can let them in and out without going into the coop/run. With freezing, however, the wood is getting stuck with ice, and we've had to go in and force it open. A little research has told me that using some cooking spray (olive oil) will keep the ice at bay. Has anyone had experience with this and maybe has a different idea of how to keep things like latches and sliding components from freezing up? We rarely get colder than the low 20's, so that could be useful info.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

That would have been a great idea. We used a door like that for years before the rope frayed and I got lazy. I close it halfway (the birds all can still get under it, but it blocks them from the weather by like 6 inches more) and leave it. They have a secure run though that the coop is in so I don't have to worry about something weasling in the lowered door and trapping them

 

[3KillerBs]

Can you add some kind of awning over the pop door to prevent the build-up of precipitation that's freezing the door shut?

 

[Bodhisan]

It's actually condensation that freezes instead of precipitation.

I sprayed it with olive oil this morning - I'll see how that goes.

 

[aart]

It's actually condensation that freezes instead of precipitation.

I sprayed it with olive oil this morning - I'll see how that goes.

Condensation is forming on the inside of the door when it is closed....then freezes?
The door just drops down and is not locked?
Some closer pics of door when closed might help here.

 

[Sally PB]

I'm interested to hear how well this works. I have considered I might get a similar problem, and was planning to use wax to "grease" the track the pop door moves in. So far, no issues at all.

 

[Krazikatlady64]

I have a man door made out of 2 x 4s that swings and it was frozen this morning after the rain yesterday. It has been "stuck" before without rain. I would love to know if any of these techniques worked. I was afraid I was going to rip the door off. Fortunately my husband got it open with a small pry bar.

The condensation builds up under the door and the frame Photo #1 door, Photo #2 bottom frame.

 

[Bodhisan]

Condensation is forming on the inside of the door when it is closed....then freezes?
The door just drops down and is not locked?
Some closer pics of door when closed might help here.

Yes, this is what's happening. The door/frame is designed so that it is only "accessible" from the inside - no lock is necessary. From the outside, even human hands would have a heck of a time lifting it (impossible for a racoon).

I'm interested to hear how well this works. I have considered I might get a similar problem, and was planning to use wax to "grease" the track the pop door moves in. So far, no issues at all.

Sally PB (and Krazykatlady64) - I'll let you know how it goes. This morning it only got to 40, so no freezing, but we might get as low as 30 over the weekend.

 

[aart]

Yes, this is what's happening. The door/frame is designed so that it is only "accessible" from the inside - no lock is necessary. From the outside, even human hands would have a heck of a time lifting it (impossible for a racoon).

This....looks like it's just on a single hinge operated by the rope?

 

[Bodhisan]

This....looks like it's just on a single hinge operated by the rope?
View attachment 2463066

Oh, that pop door! That was my temporary door before I put an Omelet in there - which I don't even use! I just keep it open. The pop door I'm talking about is in the lower left-hand side of the photo (it's painted white), and it operates vertically in a framed groove. When it's closed, that coop/run is predator-proof (as much as I can make it). Not shown in the photo is an extended run that the "sliding" pop door that is the topic of my original post leads out to. That extended run (about 300 sq. ft.) is fenced and covered with deer netting, but there is no HC around the perimeter, hence, that extended run, which they are mostly in from dawn 'til the sun sets, is not raccoon proof, if one were to decide to dig under. In our area, it's rare to see raccoons in our back yard during the day - but it HAS happened over the years. We're home all day, most of the time, but we know we're still taking a chance with that.