Proper Weather Sealant For Garage Doors

Okay, close your eyes and think about the important parts of your garage door. You probably thought of your panels and sections along with your opener unit and, of course, your springs. Then there are your rollers, tracks and safety eyes. But wait; you forgot one of the most vital parts; at least it is here in Newnan, Georgia – your weather sealant! Our Newnan Garage Repair customers remind us of the importance of weather sealant every year; especially during winter time. In reality, adding weather strips to your garage door is good for all season, not just the cold months. Stick around and we’ll explain.

Garage door sealant - really?

Yes, really. Weather sealant for garage doors is just a simple term for adding sealant strips to the bottom of garage doors. This can be added to home garage doors as well as commercial and industrial ones. These strips are made of plastic or rubber and when properly applied can be hugely instrumental in keeping temperatures inside the garage warmer and dryer in winter and cooler and cleaner in the summer. These seals are inexpensive components of your garage door, especially when compared with more pricey parts like opener units and torsion springs. Yet, as inexpensive as garage door weather sealant is, it can save you lots of money on utility costs in both summer and winter. Another huge benefit of this sealant is noise reduction. If you use your closed garage for gym workouts, wood working, or other activities, you’ll appreciate the temperate indoor climate and lack of outside noise and traffic sounds.

How it works

That tiny crack at the bottom of your garage door can let in hot and cold outside air as well as noise, dirt, water and even bugs! Our Georgia weather often calls for rain and even a tiny crack at the bottom of your garage door can let in enough water that some of your garage items can be damaged, affected and even completely ruined. Water itself can cause problems but you should also consider the effect of humidity, moisture and darkness which can all lead to mold growth. You might be thinking; mold growing on garden tools and bicycles? It’s more complicated than that; many store books, newspapers, clothing and other valuables in their garage; much like the attic storage of old. These porous items are ideal for mold spores to live, eat and thrive in.

Another problem with garage door water seepage is that during winter months, temperatures can drop to freezing level and this can lead to accidents and slippage inside your wet garage and on its frozen floor.

Garage door padding

Another little known benefit of garage door weather sealant is the cushion effect that it has on garage doors when they close again and again. Repeated closes without weather stripping can jar your garage door and its mechanisms so that they need adjustment or service and even repair in the near future.

Why not make an air tight garage door?

It’s not that simple. Our garage door technicians sometimes get asked this and it kind of makes sense; what’s so hard about making a wood or metal garage door that is entirely flush with the ground? If you make a better garage door you can forget the need for weather sealant, right? In reality, your garage door would have to be completely flat and even on the bottom and your garage floor would have to be perfectly flat, as well. This means no bumps, dips, or cracks on either the door or the floor would be allowed in order for this to work correctly. Taking our previous example; if you had a small crack or area under the garage door or in the floor of the garage and water leaked into it, and then froze and expanded, it would make the space larger and much more vulnerable. This is why most all weather seals are made of plastic or rubber as they conform to the surface and provide much better sealant as well as high quality padding than anything else.

How long does weather sealant last?

That depends. Each garage is different but a lot depends on how much you use your garage door, the materials it’s made of, and how the weather outside is. You have to take into account humidity, heat, cold, wind, rain and other factors. Even in perfectly “good” weather, the direct sunlight can affect your weather sealant and eventually age it and dry it out. If you’ve had your sealant for a while, be sure to check it periodically for damage. Pieces and small chunks can break off and the stripping can lose its elasticity over time. Press down on it and test for springiness. If you notice any leaks you’ll need to replace your sealant as soon as possible. There’s a simple light test that you can do; close your garage door and stand inside your garage. Once your eyes have adjusted to the darkened interior see if you notice any light shining through at the bottom; even a little is cause for seal replacement so keep a sharp eye out.

What if I don’t have any sealant now?

No worries; you can buy garage door weather sealant locally or online and apply it yourself. All you need are the simple instructions that come with the product and a raised and dry garage door. If you buy your weather sealant at a home improvement store like Lowe’s or Home Depot the sales help is usually pretty good about giving you recommendations on product choices and installation techniques. This is not the case if you buy your sealant in a place like Target or Wal-Mart as the staff is not trained in product use and application methods. You can also go online and watch any number of YouTube or Vimeo videos on the subject. Just use the term “garage door weather sealant installation” in your browser’s search bar. You can get both instructions in print form or on video; whichever you prefer.