How to Close the Gap Around Your Garage Door?

You like this look? This garage door is a Standard+ Shaker-Flat XL, 9' x 8', Black, Clear windows.

There’s Plenty of Outdoor Elements You Might Want to Keep Out of Your Garage

Most people worry about keeping things like leaves and dirt out of their garage. Things like cold air and humid temperatures also come to mind.

However, it doesn’t take that large of a gap for unwanted critters to enter your garage. Raccoons, squirrels, and other outdoor pests can wreak havoc on your garage. They will turn any discarded cardboard or paper and make a nest out of it overnight.

We won’t even mention your utility bill. If you have an attached garage and frequently use the door that leads to the house, you’re going to want to ensure the gap under your garage door is closed. Precious warm and cool air during their respective seasons will get sucked right out of your home and into the garage where it quickly goes to waste.

Luckily, there are a few simple measures you can take to keep unwanted weather and guests out of your garage.

1- Checking Your Weatherstripping

Check ALL Perimeters

Your garage door weatherstrip plays a huge role in the insulation of your garage. The bottom weatherstripping consists of a long rubber strip that extends from one end of your garage door to the other. This rubber strip molds to the threshold in the doorway of your garage each time you close the door.

The u-shaped bottom weatherstripping is the most common type of bottom weatherstripping. This seal bends inward as the garage closes and compensates for any gaps there may be between the floor and bottom of the door. However, damage can cause the rubber strip to become too firm or brittle. In this state, the weatherstripping will no longer be effective.

That is what a U-shaped bottom weatherstripping looks like! Interesting, isn’t it?

What About Other Weatherstripping?

There are also side perimeter weatherstripping pieces that should be monitored as well. Vinyl weatherstripping is installed around the side and top of your garage door. Behind these cosmetic vinyl pieces are rubber strips similar to what is installed on the bottom threshold.

Regular maintenance can ensure that both types of this weatherstripping stay working efficiently. Keep these simple tips in mind to maintain the life of your weatherstripping.

● Using a simple lubricant on the bottom weatherstripping can help the strip maintain its elasticity.

● Do routine cleaning checks on the bottom seal and the threshold. Keep these areas clean with a simple wipe-down consisting of soap and water.

● Inspect the vinyl weatherstripping around the perimeter of the garage door to check for damage.

● If there is any noticeable damage or pieces missing, these can easily be patched by cutting smaller pieces of vinyl to fit the damaged area.

Always keep the weatherstripping clean and remove any pooling water from around the bottom of the garage door. You never want the bottom seal to be submerged underwater for any substantial amount of time.

Can I Switch to a Different Weatherstripping?

Your weatherstripping can be changed or upgraded at any time. If you only have bottom weatherstripping and have questions about vinyl or other types of seals, check out this website.

If you have concerns about the perimeter of your garage door being compromised, you should think about upgrading. Insufficient weatherstripping can be the main culprit for unwanted critters entering your garage.

2- Repair Damaged Floors

See how you should properly place your bottom weatherstripping to have an efficient door threshold. An inward and outward slope will drain the water out.

Outside

Directly outside of your garage door where the threshold ends, your driveway should have a small slope. This slope is important and should be kept in good shape. Water drains downward from this slope and into your drainage ditch. Neglecting this area can lead to pooling water on the threshold of your door and eventually inside your garage.

Inside

There should never be any cracks or missing chunks of concrete anywhere on your garage floor. This is especially true when it comes to the inner threshold area.

When your garage door closes and the weatherstripping meets the floor, the seal is dependant on the floor being flat and uncompromised. This is one of the main causes of gaps between your door and garage floor.

If you do have cracks or missing concrete pieces on your garage floor you have a couple of options to fix the gaps this problem may cause.

● Rubber threshold weatherstripping. This type of weatherstripping is a thick, raised piece of rubber that extends from one side of your garage door to the other. This rubber piece sits directly on top of the threshold and is sloped to keep water out of your garage. This weatherstripping is also durable enough to allow cars to move back and forth over the rubber.

● Concrete finishing. There are multiple types of finishes you could use to repair your damaged floor around the threshold. If your garage is used frequently and you have guests, you may want to go with an epoxy or floor paint. Both of these types of finishes look great cosmetically and have lots of visual options.

Types of Cracks and Concrete Damage

If you thought a crack was just a universal term, think again. There are multiple types of cracks that can appear on your garage floor. You can check out this blog that goes into more detail about the types of cracks and the damage they cause. Here are a few of the most common types of cracks.

● Cold joints

When one area of concrete is laid, this type of crack happens when the timing is off during the concrete pouring process. If a new bag of concrete mix has to be opened, and the previous spot begins to dry before the new mixture can be poured, cold joints are the result. These are the most common cracks you see in a garage or concrete floor.

● Settlement

All concrete floors and structures settle over time. There’s nothing to worry about with these minor cracks. Take a closer look every so often to make sure they’re not spreading.

● Hairline

Hairline cracks are usually the result of wire mesh used to form a concrete structure like a floor. They can also form from concrete being mixed improperly. Regardless of their formation, these should be monitored closely to ensure they don’t spread.

According to you, what causes this concrete crack? Should you be concerned about it? Image from Pixabay.

Tip 1: Try to pour all your concrete at one time. You don’t want the floor to dry unevenly as the job progresses.

Tip 2: Be sure to properly mix the concrete whenever you’re working on a repair. This can cause more damage over time.

3- Garage Door Settings

Your electric garage door opener plays a huge role in the gap beneath the garage door and floor. The sensitivity settings should always be properly adjusted to ensure the door closes firm enough to create a tight seal, but not become too tight and damage the weatherstripping.

If you are unsure about how to toggle the settings of your door, refer to the garage door opener manual. Most manufacturers recommend that you should be able to slip your fingers between the floor and the weatherstripping. To perform this test, you’ll have to turn off the automatic lift safety feature of the garage door.

You like this look? This garage door is a Cambridge CM, 9' x 7', Ice White door and overlays, 4 lite Panoramic windows.

Contact an Expert

Get in touch with a specialist at Gagnon Overhead Door Ltd. One of our trained technicians is waiting to take your call and answer any questions or concerns you might have!

Picking Your Design

Our Design Centre can help you pick a garage door style that suits your home and family best. Our image gallery has examples of different types of doors and past work we’ve done with satisfied clients.

Contact us now at 506-858-7052 or get your free quote via e-mail!

We are looking forward to hearing from you!