Is this garage door right for your home? It’s a Standard+ Shaker-Flat XL, 9' x 8', Black, Clear windows.
Make sure mother nature stays where she belongs, outside your garage.
If there are leaves, rodents, insects, or water getting into your garage, that’s a key sign it’s time to reinforce your garage door seal!
While you may think fixing the gap at the bottom of your garage door is an unnecessary expense, that gap could be costing you. If rain, sleet, or just a cool breeze gets access to your garage through that gap, it could be racking up your electrical bill.
Even the smallest gap at the bottom of your garage door can seem like a large welcome sign to a variety of rodents and insects. With these invasive creatures in your garage, any valuable stored there could be in danger.
To keep your garage door fully closed all year round, just follow these solutions to getting rid of that gap!
1- Check if the garage door weatherstrip needs replacing
What is a garage door weatherstrip?
Garage door weatherstrips insulate your garage by lining the edges of the door. Weatherstrips can be made from a variety of materials, such as rubber or PVC. While they may come in different shapes and sizes, you need to pick the correct one for your garage door model. Having the right weatherstrip will be the key indicator of quality garage door insulation and durability.
If selecting the correct weatherstrip seems difficult, you could always go with U-shaped bottom weatherstripping. They are usually made of rubber or PVC, which gives them enough flexion to be used on any kind of garage floor. This material also allows u-shaped bottom weatherstripping to withstand extreme cold, up to -62℉ (-52℃).
As you can see, U-shaped bottom weatherstripping allows for flection that can adapt to any garage floor.
How to know if your bottom weatherstrip needs to be replaced
The best way to know for certain whether your weatherstrip is in good condition is to get a seal inspection. Seal inspections are important to get before the fall season to test the flexibility of your weatherstrip and ensure that your garage is properly insulated. When your bottom strip is falling apart or getting so dry it’s cracking, it doesn’t take an expert to tell you it’s time to replace it.
If your weatherstrip has been recently replaced or your current one is in good condition, make sure to do regular maintenance. Regular maintenance is important for all your garage door parts. It can help you prevent costly breakages and keep your family guarded against home invaders.
Make sure to utilize lubricants for your garage door maintenance
Once you start doing regular maintenance, make sure to use the right lubricants for the job. For weatherstrips made from PVC, make sure to use a silicone-based lubricant. You want to avoid any petroleum-based lubricants. This is because they will harden any PVC materials and diminish your weatherstrip’s ability to insulate your garage.
Garage doors should be lubricated at minimum two times a year!
This is for two main reasons:
- Spring is a great time to check for any broken or malfunctioning pieces to your garage door. All broken or breaking parts should be replaced early to prevent greater costs in the long run. It is best to make sure your garage is insulated before summer hits and hot air is getting into your house.
- It’s also important to do an inspection in the fall to make sure your garage is prepared for winter. Melted snow can cause corrosion, so make sure your garage door is properly maintained and lubricated.
How to change your garage door weatherstrip yourself
If you want to ensure that your weatherstrip has been installed correctly, it is recommended that you ask for the help of a garage door specialist. Specialists know from years of practice and can install all garage door parts with ease.
However, you can install a weatherstrip on your own if you have all the right parts and tools. If you’re set on replacing your weatherstrip without professional help, follow the guidelines on this website. Remember, choose the weatherstrip that is best equipped for your garage and floor type! The quality of your weatherstrip and additional materials will depend largely on where they are purchased from. So, even if you are going to replace your weatherstrip on your own, still talk to a professional to make sure the materials you are purchasing will stand the test of time.
2- Look for faulty flooring issues
This diagram illustrates how to properly install your garage door weatherstrip to have an efficient door threshold.
Flooring outside the garage
To direct all rainwater and melted snow away from your garage, you should have an outward slope leading down to your driveway.
Flooring inside the garage
The area you position your door threshold and weatherstrip on should be flat and devoid of cracks. If it is impossible to do this, a U-shaped bottom weatherstrip should be able to insulate even an uneven floor.
Another way to insulate a garage door placed over uneven flooring is to use garage door seal strips. Since threshold seals are made of a flexible rubber, they are easy for just about anyone to install. To do this, just cut the seal to the desired length and glue it down to your garage floor.
Concrete floor finishes that are resistant and durable are a great way to increase the aesthetic appeal of your garage without affecting the level of insulation. Here are some great choices!
- Epoxy: Epoxy is great because it makes your garage floor more durable while making it more attractive. You can choose between a variety of colors and designs that best fit the style of your home and garage!
- Paint: Concrete paint is a great way to bring a new look to your garage and cover up stained floors. Be sure to choose a concrete paint that is easy to clean and not slippery!
- Tiles: If your concrete floor has cracks in it and repairing it isn’t in your best interest, you could always cover it with tile. Rigid tiles are good for garage floors and can come in a variety of materials, such as rubber, plastic, or even wood.
- Mats: By far the easiest way to cover up your garage floor is to use a roll-out mat. When shopping for roll-out mats, pick the material that would best withstand what your garage is used for.
Garage floors with cracked concrete
Cracks in your concrete floor can be caused by different issues and can bring with them varying degrees of concern. To best diagnose these problems, read this blog to understand what caused the cracking in your concrete and how to fix it:
- Cold joints
Cold joints occur when different batches of concrete have been mixed while your floor was being set into place. Cracks can occur because one batch begins to harden while more new concrete is still being added.
- Cracks during foundation settling or construction
These cracks should not be too concerning to homeowners. Concrete cracks occurring during construction after a couple of years can be expected.
- Hairline cracks
These cracks also go by the name crazing cracks. Hairline cracks can come from many things. Such as poor surface preparation, sub-par compaction, post-tension slab, or wire mesh. Crazing cracks are generally small and unnoticeable.
What do you think caused this crack? Does it need to be fixed or can it wait? Image from Pixabay.
Tip 1: You can expect your concrete to crack over time. But it is possible to control where it cracks. You can do this by linearly cutting control joints. This will ensure that the cracks in your concrete will not spread and go in different directions.
Tip 2: When you are doing regular maintenance and clean-up, check your floors for cracks. You can catch them early and figure out if they are foundational or possibly caused by another serious issue.
3- Adjust your garage door opener
Now that you have fixed your weatherstripping and checked your garage flooring, you are ready for the final step! The final step is to adjust your electric garage door opener. Your garage door will be appropriately set when it presses the weatherstrip tightly to the floor, but not to the point where it is being crushed.
You can learn how to adjust your garage door opener properly by reading your garage door opener manual. After doing the necessary adjustments, test the Protector System and Safety Reversal System. By testing these systems, you can be sure that your garage door functions correctly.
An easy way to tell that your garage door is sealed tight enough, but not too tight to crush your weatherstrip, is if you can slide your fingers between the threshold and weatherstrip. If you can do this, congrats you have properly insulated your garage!
If this style garage door is for you, it’s a Cambridge CM, 9' x 7', Ice White door and overlays, 4 lite Panoramic windows.
Get into contact with one of our professionals
Get in touch with Hicklin Door Services. With our services, you can be confident that the garage door you select will withstand any weather and last for decades!
Our specialists are fully licensed and experienced in repair jobs and installations for any kind of garage door. They will help resolve issues with your weatherstrip and even teach you tips and tricks to do it all on your own.
Build your own garage door
Our garage door services even let you create and design the door of your dream with our Design Centre. Just choose the garage door style that best matches your home’s aesthetic, and we can help you along the way. To see garage doors, we have previously designed to meet our client’s needs, take a look at our image gallery!
If it has to do with garage doors, we can help! Whether it is installation or regular maintenance, contact us now at 515-276-3700 and we will send over a free quote by email! We at Hicklin Door Services couldn’t be more excited to bring you the garage door of your dreams!
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