Having a garage is a pretty handy thing, besides keeping your car free of rain and snow. It’s a handy place to store many things, from garden shovels to bicycles. It’s a bit of a cross between indoor storage and outdoor storage.
One characteristic of its “indoor” component is being protected from weather and small furry creatures. If your garage door seals are compromised or if your opener is out of adjustment, a gap can exist between the floor and the door. This can often provide inroads to weather and our furry friends.
Adjustments to Your Opener
If your opener is a bit out of adjustment, the garage door may not fully close. This can often allow driving rains to flow under the door and allow mice or squirrels a refuge from Mother Nature. It is not uncommon for a small chewing animal to enlarge a small gap into something that is more comfortable for it to pass through. Flexible garage door seals are easy prey for animals that have the will and need to chew. To discourage them from gnawing through your garage door seals, it is ideal to have this seal compressed between the bottom of the door and the floor. Limit switches, which control the final position of the door, are usually located up at your opener, and these can be adjusted to allow for minor changes. Since there are many types of openers out there, a quick read through your owners’ manual should give you the specifics unique to your particular model.
Rubber Doesn’t Last Forever
If your opener is properly adjusted but there’s still a gap, it may be due to age and normal wear and tear. Replacement can be fairly easy for most DIY homeowners. Your garage door manufacturer may have replacement kits readily available; if not, garage door seals can often be found online through a number of reputable suppliers. Installations vary by manufacturer and may be as simple as driving some screws through preconfigured holes in the garage door seals. Others may be more involved and require feeding the garage door seals along a channel or track. If you have the sliding variety, manufacturers will often recommend a special lubricant to make the job go more smoothly.
Shifted or Dropped Entries
It’s not too uncommon for some slabs to shift after being poured. This can be troublesome since they seldom move in even or parallel ways. Adding concrete to provide a flat, level surface for the garage door seals to rest on is one method to maintain a weather and creature-resistant seal. Another is with a secondary seal that may take the form of a threshold seal. These are mounted at ground level and are robust enough to allow vehicles to drive over them. Used in conjunction with a compressible or lip seal, they can provide a work-around for uneven entries. Garage door seals, like many other weather barriers in a home, will need to be periodically inspected to ensure that they are performing up to spec. A well-adjusted garage door can also ensure those leaves and other wind-blown debris stays outside. Secondary thresholds can provide an added level of protection and prevent poorly sloped entries from allowing water to flow into your garage. Working as a whole, garage door seals can ensure your garage is a clean and dry place to store your things.
With time, your garage might need a little extra care. Things could get noisy and need adjustments.
The Garage Door Weblog 