A well-secured garage door keeps your home safe from pests and harsh weather conditions. But over time, the seals of the garage door may deteriorate, allowing unwanted elements to invade your space. That’s why regular maintenance and timely replacement of seals are crucial. This guide will help you understand how to effectively seal your garage door.
Understanding the Importance of Sealing Your Garage Door
Sealing your garage door can benefit you in various ways. It reduces the risk of pests entering your home and helps maintain the internal temperature. It also prevents rain, wind, and debris from entering your garage through gaps. With that said, let’s understand the different types of seals used to secure your garage door.
Types of Seals Used for Garage Doors
There are several types of seals that serve different purposes:
- Bottom Seal: This seal is attached to the bottom edge of the door. Its purpose is to conform to the floor’s shape when the door is closed, creating an effective barrier.
- Threshold Seal: Positioned on the garage floor, this seal helps when the door doesn’t meet the floor evenly.
- Brush-Style Top Seal: This seal targets the gap at the top of the garage door. It ensures that your garage door is sealed, even at the top.
- Weather Stripping: Installed on the garage door frame, this seal brings the frame closer to the door to help seal it against the elements.
- V-strip Seals: These seals span the cracks in your paneled garage door, sealing them against wind or rain.
How to Replace the Bottom Seal
The bottom seal of your garage door often deteriorates with use and will need replacing. Here’s how to do it:
- Removing the Old Bottom Seal: Firstly, remove any screws on the bottom edge of the door that may be keeping the seal in place. Then, pull at the seal and remove it from the bottom of the door.
- Installing the New Bottom Seal: Fold the seal so that the two T-shaped edges align with the two grooves on the bottom edge of the garage door. Carefully insert one end of the seal into one side of the grooves and feed it along the track.
- Trimming the Excess Seal: After the seal spans the entire length of the door, trim away the excess with a utility knife. Finally, reinsert the screws.
Remember to check your garage door’s bottom seal once a year for wear. If it appears torn or has holes, it’s time to get a new one.
Installing the Threshold Seal
A threshold seal sits on the garage floor and helps seal the door. Here are the steps to install it:
- Measuring and Cutting the Seal: Use a tape measure to find the width of the garage entrance and cut the strip to size with a utility knife or hacksaw.
- Marking the Position of the Seal: Position the seal beneath the garage door, and mark its position on the floor with a pencil, tracing along both sides of the seal.
- Gluing the Seal in Place: Apply a construction adhesive directly to the floor where you marked the seal’s desired position. Then, lay the seal over the adhesive, pressing down firmly to ensure the adhesive takes.
Let the glued seal dry for 24 hours before you disturb it with a vehicle.
Installing the Brush-Style Top Seal
A brush-style top seal is a great solution for the tricky gap at the top of the garage door. Here’s how to install it:
- Preparing the I-beam: Raise your garage door and clean the top I-beam with a pair of gloves and a rag dampened with methylated spirits.
- Applying Double-Sided Tape to the Seal: Lay your top seal segments on a clean floor with their bottom sides facing up, then apply double-sided tape about 1.5 feet apart, with a piece of tape on each end of each span of seal.
- Pressing the Seals into the I-beam: Start from one end of the I-beam and press the first seal into the corner. Then, place the next length of seal directly next to it, and continue this process until your seal spans the length of the I-beam.
- Cutting the Final Length of Seal and Installing: Hold your final length of seal next to the others, and mark with a pencil where it becomes too long for the I-beam. Shorten the seal to that mark with a hacksaw, then install it next to the others.
Installing Vinyl Weather Stripping
Vinyl weather stripping is nailed or screwed into the frame of the garage door. Here’s how to install it:
- Measuring and Cutting the Stripping: Measure the height and width of the garage door, and cut three pieces of weather stripping to size: two for the sides, and one for the top.
- Installing the Stripping: Position the side stripping so that it grazes the door and provides a good seal. Then, secure the stripping to the door frame with nails spaced about 6 inches apart. Do the same with the other side, then install the top length last.
- Caulking the Stripping: Apply caulk to weatherproof the seam where the stripping meets the door frame. Run a length of caulk down the seam, then run your finger over the length to seal and round out the caulk.
Applying V-strip Seals
V-strip seals work by spanning the cracks in your paneled garage door. Here’s how to apply them:
- Measuring the Width of Your Garage Door: Use a tape measure to find the width of one of these panels, then count how many gaps are in the door.
- Cutting V-seals to Length: Cut the same number of V-seals as gaps in your garage door, making sure each is as long as the garage door is wide.
- Applying V-strips with the Self-Adhesive: Peel away the covering on both fins of the V-seal, and place them so that they span the gaps between your garage door panels.
Remember to check the condition of V-seals every couple of months or so as they may deteriorate fairly quickly with heavy garage door usage.
Final Thoughts
Sealing your garage door is a cost-effective way to enhance the security and energy efficiency of your home. The process may seem complex, but with the right tools and a little patience, you can effectively seal your garage door. So start today and make your garage a safer and more comfortable space.
