Sealing Your Garage Door

If you are serious about protecting the items inside your garage by controlling the temperature inside, you will need to seal your garage door. This should be of special interest to you if you use your garage as workspace or any other use other than just storing your car. Sealing your garage door generally requires three different types of materials to seal each side of your garage door.

Bottom Seal- This type of seal is placed along the bottom of the garage door and is typically made of either vinyl or rubber materials. When the door shuts, the seal compresses and allows the material to close any floor gaps. This keeps out debris, water, insects, rodents, and cold weather. Your garage door may actually have a track, which is made of aluminum, made to hold the bottom seal. There are also rubber strips sold individually and attached by using nail and staples. This is generally the least expensive route to go. It does the job but may not last as long as some of the other types of bottom seals. To determine whether or not it is time to replace your bottom seal, stand away from your door and see if you are able to see light shining through while the door is closed. If you can, it is time to reapply a new seal.

Weatherstrip- The name says it all, ‘weatherstrip’. This is the type of seal used around the top and sides of your garage door. It keeps the wind and rain from coming into your garage. Rain can cause parts of your door to corrode and rust. To avoid this, make sure you weatherstrip your garage door. It is an inexpensive process that can save you money. Some of the most common weatherstripping options are felt, tension seal and foam tape. You should familiarize yourself with some of the options available so that you can determine which will suit you best.

A strong adhesive is applied to secure the seal to the floor.

Threshold- Threshold seal provides the same benefits as the bottom seal. The biggest difference is how it is installed. This type of seal is actually applied to the floor instead of the garage door. When it comes to choosing the material to use, a vinyl seal is generally much more durable. A strong adhesive is applied to secure the seal to the floor. Like the bottom seal, it is also instrumental in keeping water from seeping into the garage.