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How To Seal A Garage Door

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When thinking about concerns in your home, the last place you might think about is your garage. And even if you do notice some issues such as leaks and drafts, it can be easy to overlook- especially if your garage simply acts as a place to park your car. However, ensuring that you have a sealed garage door can offer a slew of benefits you should know about. 

opening garage door

How should I seal a garage door?  When sealing a door, consider the top, bottom, and sides of the door If you notice any type of weather or light coming through an area of your garage door, you have an opening that lets air in.  Where you see an opening, you should replace using a bottom seal, threshold seal, or weatherstripping.

If you think that your garage door is in desperate need of sealing, you will need to know which materials are right for your problem. Whether you need to fix the entirety of your garage door or just one area, we are going to discuss the different ways to seal a garage door successfully.

Why You Should Seal a Garage Door

One of the biggest reasons why you should seal a garage door is because it will regulate the temperature and won’t cause unwanted drafts or warmth that can easily seep into your home. Aside from that, excessive moisture can cause humidity, and cracks, or openings, can invite unwanted rodents and other small creatures to come inside. 

Sealing your garage door is going to be even more critical if you use your garage as a workspace.  Small rodents like to chew wood, especially to get into cabinets. They will also spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to get into your living space.  

The good news is, sealing your garage door is a simple hack that even amateurs can accomplish. It only requires a few materials and a little elbow grease on your part. The most important thing to remember is to start by finding the openings. You will be able to see sunlight shining through the opening or notice water leaking through when it’s raining.

How to Seal a Garage Door

Once you have found the openings in your garage door, you are ready to find the right materials and get to work. Keep in mind that sometimes there may be cracks or openings throughout the whole garage door- bottom, sides, and top- in which case you will need to replace all areas of the door. 

Sealing the Bottom of Your Garage Door

If your problem lies in the bottom of your garage door, there are two types of seals to pay attention to- a bottom seal and a threshold seal. And while you can use a bottom seal without the threshold seal, it’s always better to use them conjointly for the best results. The two materials work together to ensure nothing can seep through the bottom of the garage.

Installing a bottom seal is relatively simple (source). We recommend using the BOWSEN 16FT Heavy-Duty U+O Ring Universal Garage Door Bottom Seals  because it comes with everything you need to get the job done. Once you have your supplies, you can begin installing the seal in three easy steps:

  1. Start by removing the damaged bottom seal, located at the very bottom of your garage door. If it’s a metal garage door, it should slide out easily. Wood garage doors may require nails to be removed. 
  2. Thoroughly clean the bottom of the garage door and measure for the new seal. You don’t want to install a new seal onto a dirty base, so make sure it is thoroughly cleaned and dried. Measure the length so that you know exactly how much seal to cut.
  3. Situate the new seal onto the bottom of the garage door. Remember that metal garage doors will have a place to slip the seal into. Wood doors will require a bit more effort on your part with glue and caulking to keep the seals tight.

Finish off the project by installing the threshold seal:

  1. Clean the floor of the garage and measure. Again, installing on a dirty floor is counterproductive and may leave bumps and creases where dirt and grime are located. Measure the length to cut the threshold seal properly.
  2. Place the threshold seal on the ground and close the garage door. This will allow you to see any bumps or areas that need to be situated better on the ground.
  3. Glue the threshold seal in place. Once you are satisfied with the length and the way the threshold seal appears, you can glue the seal to the threshold and gently close the garage door. Keep the garage door closed for 24 hours to let the adhesive dry.

Here is a great informational video showing how to create an excellent seal on a garage door. 

Sealing the Sides and Top of Your Garage Door

While most of your issues such as water and animals are going to come through the bottom of your garage door, it’s still possible that the sides and tops of the garage door can cause you some problems also. When the tops and sides are not sealed, you can expect a hefty draft or excessive heat coming through as well as raindrops seeping in during rainy weather.

You can even struggle with too much unwanted noise coming into your garage and home without a proper seal!

To seal the top and sides of your garage door, you will be utilizing weather strips. (Source) Again, this is a rather simple DIY installation that you don’t need a professional for. We recommend using the 33 Feet Long Garage Door Weather Stripping by Cloudbuyer 

Here are the easy to follow steps to sealing the top and sides of your garage:

  1. Remove any weather-strips, if necessary. Some garage doors are made entirely without these strips on the sides and top of the garage. If that’s the case, there will be no removal necessary. If you need to remove worn and tattered strips, do so carefully.
  2. Measure the area. As weatherstripping typically comes in a roll form, all you need to do is measure the sides and top of the garage door accurately and cut the weatherstripping appropriately.
  3. Use galvanized nails and screws or adhesive to apply. If you’re working with a wood garage door, you will need galvanized nails and screws to keep the seal nice and tight. Metal garage doors can have the weatherstripping sealed using an adhesive.

Here is another instructional video for dealing with weatherstripping on the tops and sides of your garage door. 

Consider Insulation

At this point, you may also want to consider adding some type of insulation to your garage door. If you’re not keen on cutting up any more materials, there are handy insulation kits such as the Matador Garage Door Insulation Kit  that has everything you need to get the job done quickly and efficiently with no extra tools or products necessary. 

Conclusion

An unsealed garage door lets unwanted rodents, animals, weather, and even noises inside. Sealing your garage will lead to a pleasant space that is temperature regulated and quieter, with no pesky puddles or droppings around. Sealing is simple and only requires a few products, including bottom door seal, threshold seal, and weatherstripping that are easily glued or nailed into the garage door. Even the most amateur DIY-ers can do it!

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