Garage Door Weatherstripping

Garage door weatherstripping is designed to keep weather, insects, and rodents out of your garage. Weatherstripping is inexpensive and is sold by the foot. And because of rising utility bills, weather seals provide an excellent return on investment.

Perimeter Garage Door Weatherstripping

Garage door perimeter weatherstripping

The perimeter weather seal is the pieces that are fastened around outside the jambs of the garage door. These weather seals come in different materials such as vinyl, steel, aluminum, and rubber. The rubber is the part that touches the door and creates the seal. Garage door weather stripping comes in various colors and designs.

They’re pros and cons to all the types of weatherstripping. For example, the steel weatherstrip is good because it is rigid and doesn’t warp over time. One of the biggest disadvantages of steel Is that it will rust, most often near the bottom. Vinyl or plastic weatherstrip is good because it will never rust but, depending on a few factors can warp. Some factors include the color, how it is installed, and how hot the sun gets on the door.

If the outside weather seal is installed properly, the rubber will sit at a 45-degree angle. When installing the side and top weather stripping, it is important to fasten it tight enough to make a good seal, but not so tight to “bind” the operation of the door.

Test if the weatherstripping is installed to tight or to lose is:

  1. Run the door up and down manually with your hand. If you can open and close the door without having to push or pull to hard, it is not binding the door. Therefore is not too tight.
  2. When the door is in the closed position gently push on the garage door face. This test will recreate what will happen on a windy day. If the garage door rubber separates from the door and creates a gap, the weatherstrip is to lose.

Garage Door Bottom Seal

Garage Door Bottom Seal

The garage door bottom weather seal is the piece of weather stripping attached horizontally across the bottom section. Because garage door bottom seals are constantly under pressure from being pushed into the ground, they can become hard and flat over time. For this reason, replacing them with a new, more pliable seal can make a big difference in how well it seals. Because every garage door manufacturer has its own panel design, most garage door bottom weather seals are specific to that door.

The rubber can come in different lengths measured in inches. Most manufacturers use three-inch rubber for new garage doors. Most concrete floors are not perfectly level or can crack and shift over time. If you have a gap on one side of the door or have an irregular surface, you can buy a larger weatherstrip to fill the gap.

Universal Garage Door Bottom Weatherstripping

One way that you can get around finding a specific bottom seal is to use a generic L-style bottom aluminum retainer and rubber weather seal. This is a very useful solution that can be used on most doors. The aluminum retainer and rubber can be bought together or separate as needed.

aluminium bottom retainer

Commercial Overhead Door Weather Strips and Weather Seals

Commercial perimeter Weather Stripping

This perimeter seal is very similar to residential. The only difference is the materials are usually made from aluminum instead of vinyl. They are a bit more durable to withstand the countless abuse in a commercial setting.

Commercial Bottom Seal

Commercial situations often require bigger and more durable bottom seals. There are several different sizes and styles used on irregular floors in factories or shops, reversing safety switches and agricultural settings.

Commercial Brush Weather Strip

aluminium bottom retainer

Brush style weatherstrip can be used with the perimeter seals to make an extra layer of resistance to wind, snow, and sun.  It can also be used as an alternative to perimeter seals. This could be because of an irregular surface, the distance to contact the door, or because of health and safety laws.

Brush weatherstripping can come in various lengths, typically from 1-inch brush up to 6 inches.

Overhead door weatherstripping can break down over time. It’s important to get your old stuff replaced to prevent rain, snow, and cold from coming in around your garage door.

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