Proper Weather Sealant for Your Garage Door

Since there are various types of garage door, there is also going to be different ways to apply a sealant. Regardless of which type you have, wood, steel, fiberglass, insulated or non-insulated, you’ll still need the right type of weather sealant. If your garage door is sealed properly it will keep out leaves, debris, snow, water, rodents and insects. Since it keeps the area warm and cool, you might even benefit financially. With weather sealant, you can maintain your garage door components. Your cables, brackets, track and rollers won’t rust. Overall, homeowners can reduce maintenance costs. Our service technicians at Peachtree City Garage Door Repair can properly seal your garage door, if you want to make sure the job is done right.

Someone who uses their garage for more than just parking space will certainly be interested in good weather sealant. Many people use their garage as an extension of their home. They use it as an office, play area, artist studio, music studio, home gym and more. If you use the garage for anything other than parking your car, having it properly sealed should be important to you, in addition to having it insulated. There are primarily three areas that our service technicians will usually concentrate on when applying your weather seal, on the side of the door, above and below the door.

When we reference applying a sealant to the side or top of your garage door, you may hear us refer to it as stop molding, weather seal molding, door weather-stripping, garage door trim, garage door seal or garage door trim molding. It all means the same thing, weather-proofing your garage.

When we apply side and top seals, we apply the sealant to the door jamb with a vinyl flap molded onto the PVC part that folds onto the garage door, sealing off any gaps between the door and door jamb. The part that is applied to the jamb is made of PVC and is offered in different colors. We can even match the nails to coordinate with the PVC weather strip. PVC is durable and will not fade. It is very easy for our service technician to work with. In most cases, the PVC part is imprinted with a wood grain finish that makes the door appear to look a little more cohesive to the natural look of your garage door.

The Bottom Seal

The bottom seal applied to a garage door is called garage door bottom seal, door weather-stripping, weather seal, garage door draught excluder or rubber seal. Since this is usually a seal that just needs to be replaced, we need to correctly match it to the existing bottom seal. In most cases, since most homes have a steel door, there is a piece on the bottom of the garage door that enables us to simply slide the weather seal directly into. This is known as the retainer. It is attached to the bottom of the door. Some retainers come as part of the door but the majorities are separate from the door. A door retainer is made of aluminum, PVC or steel.

The bottom seal that we apply most often is the one shaped like a U with T ends which will easily slide into the retainer. The T width may vary but the ¼ “are the most common the 5/16” is the one many garage door manufacturer use. There are various types of T style that you can choose from. Other styles of weather seal include bulb and bead style. This may get a little technical for most homeowners and therefore, they generally leave it to our qualified professionals to handle the job for them.

If you have a wooden garage door, you might notice that the weather-seal is located directly on the bottom of your door. There are two standard types used for wooden garage door bottom seals. There is a soft one that often shows irregularities on your garage door floor. Then there is a dense rubber seal, which doesn’t offer the same level of flexibility but is more durable than the soft, sponge like seal. If your door is smooth, the denser rubber seal might be better suited for you, but the soft type if you have uneven flooring
There is yet another option for the wooden garage door and it is the retainer and weather seal. It is a flat retainer, L shaped with a cap style that looks like the adjustable bottom cap. They can also be applied to match the color of the retainer and weather-seal.

We understand this is a lot to consider but at least now you have a head start. While some homeowners do not mind allowing a service professional handle the job, some still like to be fully aware of exactly what is being applied and how it is being applied. This helps them to have a grasp of what needs to be done to weather-seal their door. It also enables them to see just how efficient the service provider actually is.

There is no doubt about, every garage door should have a weather sealant on it. You should first consult with a professional to understand more about what is required to weather-seal your particular type of garage door. Then you will be equipped with enough information to make a well-informed decision. No matter the type of garage door you have, don’t let anyone convince you that you don’t need a sealant. Take it from the experts, you should have your garage door weather-sealed, the advantages far outweigh any disadvantages. In fact, we can really think of any disadvantages to having your garage door properly weather sealed. Some homeowners will look it up on YouTube to see how they can apply their own weather-seal. While this is one way to do it, to make sure it last longer, it is probably in your best interest to leave it to the experts of Peachtree City Garage Door Repair in Suwanee, Georgia.