Garage Door Seals, What Are They Good For?

One of the reasons that the garage doors exist at all is to keep those things inside your garage dry and relatively safe from the harrowing weather that takes place outside. It's really quite a simple goal, but it really can make a whole lot of difference to the lifespan of things like your car or other stored goods. One of the small under celebrated pieces of your garage door is the weather strip or the rubber barrier that should be connecting your garage floor to your garage door. Another relatively simple solution to the problem of properly sizing garage doors for a variety of situations and garage door opening. In this article we will look at just how important this little strip is to your home's garage and garage door; we will also take a look at things like when it might make sense to replace that little strip and what you can do to make it last as long as possible for you. First off if you have not got a rubber weather strip for your garage door I suggest you go out and purchase one right now because of how useful they are to your garage door despite their overall cheap price. If you have already got a weather strip for your garage door then sit back and keep reading to learn just how useful it is and how to keep yours working well for as long as you can.

So if you take a look at the weather strip on your garage door while the door is closed you will see that it is just kind of filling in the space that is left between your garage door and the floor. Simple enough, but that little pocket of air and rubber is keeping a ton out of your home. That little crack that would otherwise be open means that things like rodents, insects, leave, dirt and cold air are all free to come and go as they please in your garage. All of those things of course can play havoc on not only the things stored in your garage in the form of dirt getting on your car, but it can also cost you a significant amount in the way of energy prices because of the air passing underneath. On top of things like rodents and other pests being able to get into your garage it is easy to see how one strip of rubber can come out a lot cheaper than an exterminator bill and a higher heating bill. You may be thinking though, "if all of this stuff is a result of having a tiny gap in the bottom of my garage door why wouldn't I just not have the gap?" The answer to that question lies in the amount of work that goes into installing your garage door. A perfectly installed and calibrated garage door may have a near perfect seal between the door and the floor of your garage, but that won't last long at all. As time goes on a lot of minor changes would have your garage door pushing too hard into your floor, your garage door not hitting the ground anymore or the much more likely problem of being down too far on one side and higher on the other. This occurs because as your garage settles and the door expands and contracts there are imperfections that may not have been apparent upon installation. This means you are left with a less than optimal seal at best and at worst a broken garage door. In order to remedy this your garage door will most likely be installed just shy of a perfect fit with a rubber seal in order to expand or contract to any of these changes should it need to. While this seal may not be as sturdy as your garage door or provide as terrific of insulation, it is flexible enough to do the job.

Surprisingly enough that little rubber strip at the bottom of your garage door isn't as sturdy and reliable as the metal, wood, or other material used for your garage door. With this sacrifice comes the idea that some day you may need to actually replace this seal. Because these seals are relatively cheap replacing them shouldn't be the worst thing in the world, but it does help to know when to replace yours. If your rubber seal is totally falling of the garage door, is totally flattened at this point or has loads of holes in it, then you may want to look at getting it replaced. If your seal is totally flattened against your garage floor you may also want to take this as a sign that your garage door may be sitting too low, and hence has crushed your rubber seal. These seals can last a number of years, but they will not be able to outlive your garage door, so if you find that they need replacing it is in your best interest to go out to the hardware store and buy a replacement or simply ask your garage door technician for a solution.

If you find that you are wearing through these seals at an alarming rate then you could very well be buying poor replacements or simply have a garage door that is not sitting correctly and so is taking it out on the seals. If you can't seem to part with those few dollars to buy a new seal though there are a few things that can bring new life to your garage door seal. If the only problem you have with the seal is that it is a little worn and falling off then feel free to simply glue it back into place. Having a pristine seal is really no better than having a year old one, having it in place is one of the best parts of the seal. If your seal is flattened and doesn't seem to have any more life in it get a bit of tubing or a hose and pop it into the seal. This will give it some more shape and rigidity but the seal should still flex as the garage door closes. Other than these tips there is really not much you can do to extend the lifetime of your garage door's rubber seal. However, seeing as they are relatively inexpensive there is no reason you shouldn't just go out and grab another if need be.

There is all the greatness of that little rubber seal. It may seem like a small piece of your whole garage door, but in the end each of those little parts is actually doing a fair bit of work to keep your garage safer and to make your life just a bit easier. If you haven't got a seal on your garage door go out now and get one, and maybe find out why you didn't have one when you got your garage door installed. If you have got one but it is looking old and not too helpful then do the same, run out to the store or hop online and get yourself a new rubber garage door seal.