Do you like this garage door? It is a Standard+ Shaker-Flat XL, 9' x 8', Black, with Clear windows.
Keep Your Garage Safe from Unwanted Elements
Whether you have a small gap at the bottom of the garage door or a large one, it’s a problem. It allows easy entrance to your garage from all manner of small animals, insects, snakes, and more. Having pests in the garage is a horrible feeling, and they can cause a serious amount of damage in very little time.
Additionally, it could allow water, snow, sand, leaves, wind, and more into the garage. If there’s a gap, it will often mean an increase in your electricity bill if you have an attached garage.
Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do. The three tips that follow can help to ensure your garage door gap is no longer a problem.
1- Change Out the Bottom Weatherstripping
What Is Weatherstripping and Why Is It Important?
A garage door weatherstrip is typically made from PVC, rubber, or other durable material. The strip is placed around the garage door to help keep out the weather and pests. Adding weatherstripping is a great way to help keep the garage at a good temperature. It can help with the durability and insulation of the garage door.
A u-shaped bottom weatherstripping option is a great choice. It can work with all manner of floors. Always make sure that you are choosing a flexible material, such as rubber or PVC. This type of strip can handle even the roughest winters that can get down to -62℉ (-52℃)!
Here is an example of U-shaped bottom weatherstripping.
How Often Should Weatherstripping Be Changed?
There isn’t necessarily a specific shelf life when it comes to the bottom weatherstripping. You will want to keep an eye on it. If you notice that it’s starting to dry out and crack, then you will want to change it. Generally, it’s a good idea to check during the fall season, so you can get it fixed before winter arrives.
Regular maintenance is one of the best ways to ensure that all the garage door parts are working properly. It can help you to find any issues before they become major problems that would be more expensive to repair. Ensuring everything is working properly helps to keep you and your family safe from intruders and harm.
Here’s a Quick Tip: Add some lubricant when you are maintaining your garage door to keep everything moving smoothly.
When choosing lubricant on PVC parts, you want a silicone-based lube. If you were to use a petroleum-based one, it could cause the material to harden. This will reduce its lifespan significantly.
Ideally, you will lubricate the garage door twice a year. Once in the spring and once in the fall.
The springtime is a good time to inspect the entire garage door and to replace any problematic parts that could have worn down during the winter. Fall is another good time to check the door. This inspection is about ensuring the garage door is ready for the coming winter.
Always try to choose quality materials for weatherstripping. Better quality materials tend to last longer. Talk with a professional if you aren’t sure what you should be getting for your door. They can also help with inspections.
Changing the bottom weatherstripping
You can handle the replacement of the weatherstripping on your own if you would like. All you need are the right materials. Then, you can follow the instruction on the website to make the replacement.
If you aren’t comfortable handling it on your own, you can always talk with a garage door specialist about it. They can handle it quickly and efficiently.
2- Examine Your Garage Floor
This diagram shows you what an efficient door threshold should look like with your door and weatherstripping.
Outside Slope
The outside slope should be angled so that it moves the water from rain or melted snow down and away from your garage, so it doesn’t get inside.
Inside Slope
The floor at the threshold should be flat, and there should not be any cracks where the water could get into. Even if the floor is not quite even, having a u-shaped bottom weatherstrip can help to ensure that no water gets inside of the garage.
Additionally, there are garage door seal strips available that can help to handle these gaps between the floor and the bottom of the door. These are easy to install on your own. You can cut them to the correct size and then glue them down to the surface of the door.
You can do other things for your concrete floor, as well, including using concrete floor finishes and coverings. Good options will be durable and resistant to damage. Check out some of the best options:
● Epoxy: These coatings are often used because they add durability to the floor, as well as style. You can choose from a range of colors and styles.
● Paint: Simple paint especially made for concrete is another option to improve the look of a stained garage floor. It’s important to choose a high-quality paint option that will be easy to clean and that will not be too slippery.
● Tiles: Tiles can work nicely, as well. You can find options made from wood, rubber, or plastic. They are easy to install and can save you from needing to repair the floor.
● Mats: Mats are a simple and effective way to cover the garage floor without needing to repair any cracks. It’s easy enough to add on your own, as well.
Cracks in the Concrete
Sometimes, you can’t cover up the cracks. They will need to be fixed. There are many types of cracks that could appear, and it’s important to know the differences between them. This blog can give you a better idea of what is causing them and how to fix them.
● Cold joints
You might have cold joints on the floor if there were more than one batch of concrete mixed and used when the floor was laid. If they don’t blend well, it’s because one of them has hardened while the other was added. This can cause these types of cracks.
● Cracks during foundation settling or construction
Cracks will often appear in the concrete after several years, or they could appear during construction. These types of cracks happen often, and they aren’t usually something to be too alarmed about. You can talk with an expert if you aren’t sure.
● Crazing cracks
Another term for these is hairline cracks. They tend to be quite small and hard to notice. This could happen because the surface prep for the concrete was not done correctly. It might also happen because of wire mesh issues, post-tension slab, or subgrade compaction.
Here’s an example of cracked concrete. What do you think caused it? Image from Pixabay.
Quick Tip 1: Fractures in concrete happen all the time. When they occur, you can have some control over where they happen. You can do this by using cut control joints to ensure the cracks aren’t going in different directions.
Quick Tip 2: Always be aware of what’s happening with your garage floor. When you are cleaning, look for signs of cracks and other issues. Determine whether they are serious and need to be fixed. If you aren’t sure, it’s always a good idea to call a professional to inspect it.
3- Check the garage door opener
Once you have made sure the floor is in good shape and you’ve added the weatherstripping, it’s time to adjust the electric garage door opener. You need to be sure that the weatherstrip is tight to the floor without being crushed.
Use your garage door opener manual and make the needed adjustments. Always make sure that you set the Safety Reversal System and the Protector System once you have made the adjustments to make sure it’s all working properly.
How do you feel about this garage door? It is a Cambridge CM, 9' x 7', Ice White door with overlays and 4 lite Panoramic windows.
Contact the Pros
Get in touch with our garage door specialists to help with your door. The professionals are ready to help make repairs or install a new garage door and opener for you. They can even help you with your weatherstripping if needed.
When you choose Dor‑Co Garage Doors, you can get a great garage door that will last a long time.
Create Your Own Garage Door
You need to figure out which garage door style is right for you. Then, check out the Design Centre to see what different doors would look like on your home. You can also check out the image gallery for more inspiration.
We provide a range of garage door services. Repair, maintenance, and installation are our specialties.
Call us now at 1-800-590-4455 and get your free quote by email.
We’re ready to help with your project.
Add new comment