Garage Door Bottom Seal and Weatherstrip

Two Kinds of Seal

The bottom seal is a rubber or vinyl strip in a channel along the bottom of the door. When the door closes, it squashes against the floor.

The perimeter weatherstrip runs up the sides and across the top of the opening, on the frame. It closes the gaps around the edges.

Why They Fail Here

Rubber dries out and cracks in the summer sun, especially on west facing doors. A seal that sits in water after our heavy summer storms breaks down faster.

Concrete slabs on Piedmont clay often settle unevenly over the years. A seal that matched a flat floor no longer meets a slab that dips at one end. Sometimes a taller seal or a seal made for uneven floors fixes it.

Rodents chew rubber seals to get into a warm garage. Once there's a hole, they'll keep using it.

Why It's Worth Fixing

• Water. Rain blowing under the door ruins cardboard boxes and rusts the bottom of the door.
• Pests. Mice, roaches and snakes all come in through gaps at the floor.
• Comfort. A sealed garage stays cooler in summer and warmer in winter, which helps any room next to it.
• Security. Big side gaps are a weak spot.

Is It a Homeowner Job?

Side weatherstrip is nailed or screwed to the frame, and some handy homeowners do it themselves. The bottom seal slides into a channel, which is easy on some doors and a fight on others.

The one thing to avoid is anything that involves the bottom brackets at the corners, where the lift cables attach under spring tension. If the channel can't come out without touching those, let a technician do it. Read cables and tracks for why.

Don't Seal a Door You're Replacing

New weatherstrip on an old, rusted or bent door is money you won't get back. If the door is near the end, think about a new door instead, and look at insulated doors if comfort is the goal.

Seals are also checked during a yearly tune-up. For help now, send the form or call (919) 555-0136.