Weather changes affect not just humans but garage doors too. Extreme weather conditions like scorching summers or freezing winters can harm your door. This is why you must weather seal your garage door. Here is where garage door weatherstripping steps in, as explained by our garage specialists.
Garage door weatherstripping
Lining your garage door with a layer of material like vinyl or rubber is called weatherstripping. Like the process, the seal is also weatherstripping and is used to fill the gaps around the door. Garage door weather seals protect the garage door from weather damage and also act as insulation. In winter weather, they keep the snow and rain out and maintain the warm temperature of the garage. In summer, they prevent the heat from entering and maintain a cool temperature within the garage.
Weatherstripping also acts as a barrier preventing dust, dirt, debris, snow, water, and even rodent droppings from entering your garage.
Now that you have understood the importance of weatherstripping, here are some tips to guide you in selecting the right seal and applying it.
Tips to choosing the right garage door seals
Types of seals
- Garage door seals are of many types depending on the material used and the area where they are fixed.
- Based on the material, they can be vinyl, rubber, felt, foam, metal, etc.
- Based on the area of the door where they are fitted, these seals can be side seals, bottom seals, threshold seals, etc.
- There are 4 types of bottom seals – J type, T type, bulb, and beaded varieties.
- As for side seals, they can be a vinyl doorstop, brush seal, and reverse angle mount seal.
Selecting the right seal
- Garage door seals can use single or double channel retainers. If the seal is attached at one point, the retainer is single and if it is attached at 2 points, it is double.
- Use a double channel retainer to keep the water out.
- Use a beaded seal with a double channel retainer as it prevents water from running under the seal.
- If the floor is an uneven floor or concrete floor, use a bulb seal with a single retainer.
- For the threshold seal, you can use the thickest rubber seal as it is the seal that keeps the garage clean by excluding outside debris. This seal is fixed to the cement garage floor and hence should be strong enough to withstand the weight.
- For the sides of the garage, use brush seals. Usually, these are used as bottom seals but work better for the sides.
- Instead of using vinyl rubber stop or brush seals for the sides, use the reverse angle mount seal. It is a U-shaped rubber gasket into which the door fits comfortably. It is used for heavy steel doors in commercial buildings.
Apart from the standard seals, you can use special varieties of garage weather seals exist like these
V-shaped garage door weatherstripping
This type of weatherstripping is also called tension seal weatherstripping. It uses vinyl, aluminum, or steel in a V shape to cover the sides and bottom of the door. It is installed in between individual door panels. Only a skilled garage door technician can install this V-shaped garage door weatherstripping.
Rolled vinyl gasket weatherstripping
This is the latest in the market. It covers the door on all sides, top, and bottom with a gasket of rolled vinyl. It is medium-priced and easy to install but needs screws to fix it.
Foam weatherstripping
This uses a foam strip reinforced with wood or metal as tape. It is highly durable and covers even the cracks. But, only a garage door expert can fix it right.
The right seal for your door
Depending on the type of door, the seal varies.
- Wooden garage doors use a seal in the form of a strip with angled edges.
- Metal doors have a U-shaped basket of rubber fitted into an aluminum channel. This is called a tragal seal.
Points to know when you replace weatherstripping
- Whenever you replace weather stripping, be sure to fill all the gaps and cracks.
- Also, see if the garage door tracks are rusting and replace them. They might damage your weather seals.
- Always inspect your garage seals before the winter months.
- Know that the first signs of wear and tear of the garage seal are their hardness, cracking, or leakage.
Call a professional For Lauderdale garage expert for preventative maintenance of these garage seals and avoid costly repairs.
Remember, Weatherstripping the garage door is the best way to weather-proof it.