Garage Door Seals-Bottom and Sides

[Steven B.]

I am ready to replace the seals on the bottoms and sides of my garage doors. The doors are pretty heavy. They are 16' metal with 1/2 inch cedar togue in groove cladding on the exterior so I need something that is durable and will last. I am looking at the channel type as on the doors now for the bottoms of the doors and also the harder material that is adhered to the concrete floor.

Any suggestions as to what has worked best for you? As in my other post, I need to keep the snakes out.

Steve

[John H.]

Re: Garage Door Seals-Bottom and Sides

Roll-up sectional, or solid?

[Steven B.]

Re: Garage Door Seals-Bottom and Sides

Roll-up sectional, or solid?

John they have three sections and are 7' tall. Both have 1/2 HP motors.

Steve

[Rick S.]

Re: Garage Door Seals-Bottom and Sides

Mongoose works for me!!

[Chuck S.]

Re: Garage Door Seals-Bottom and Sides

I am ready to replace the seals on the bottoms and sides of my garage doors. The doors are pretty heavy. They are 16' metal with 1/2 inch cedar togue in groove cladding on the exterior so I need something that is durable and will last. I am looking at the channel type as on the doors now for the bottoms of the doors and also the harder material that is adhered to the concrete floor.

Any suggestions as to what has worked best for you? As in my other post, I need to keep the snakes out.

Steve

Snakes?! I was only attempting to keep bugs and dust out.

For the sides and top, Home Depot sells garage seals that are constructed with a plastic nailing strip that is about 2" wide by 3/8" thick with a vinyl flap molded into the edge of the strip. New construction often has this type seal installed.

The seal is installed by cutting to length and nailing the strip to the door casing such the flap is tight against the door surface when the door is closed. If the flaps are trimmed properly at the upper corners, the flaps overlap to form a continuous tight seal. Once you paint the nailing strip, it looks like part of the door casing. You can either paint the flap or not; I left mine white for an attractive white outline of the doors...they didn't discolor after about six years, and cleaned up to bright white with soap and water.

The bottom seal is generally a rubber insert into a channel as you said. The new door openers can be adjusted such that they preload the door just slightly in the closed position, i.e. just before the opener senses the pressure as obstruction and reverses. I don't know of anything better for the bottom, but I'm always looking for new ideas.

[Wayne P.]

Re: Garage Door Seals-Bottom and Sides

Stevin.
I replaced the old seal with a aluminum channel that you place the rubber strip in. costs about 70 CDN . US 25 ha ha sad. You can get it from any garage replacement business.

[Gary C.]

Re: Garage Door Seals-Bottom and Sides

Steve, in addition to what Chuck said about the side and top seals which help to keep wasps and other flying insects out there are larger bottom seals available. The larger bottom seals are about twice the depth of the normal seals. Had to install some for a door opening recess in the concrete that wasn't back far enough and uneven with the door when closed and wouldn't seal good. There's all kinds of seals; thresholds, rolls, etc. Couple of links to some options. Good luck. The foxes control the snake population for us. Gary....

http://www.prodoorsupply.com/Garage_Door_Weather_Seal_s/37.htm

http://www.improvementscatalog.com/h...ttom-seal.html

http://www.diygaragerepair.com/Weather-Stripping-and-Bottom-Seals-s/128.htm

[Chuck S.]

Re: Garage Door Seals-Bottom and Sides

Gary, that "Ultra Rubber Bottom Seal" looks pretty good ( http://www.prodoorsupply.com/Rubber_...eal_p/a093.htm )...I'll have to bookmark that one for future reference. It has flexible outer covering that conforms to irregular door threshold surface to seal, plus an inside tubular component to provide firm resistance to closing force.

They say that seal outlasts the door, but I would have to be convinced. Garage door seals seem to wear pretty fast due to constant grit abrasion. Depending on usage, you will need to replace them every few years if you want them to remain effective.

[Terry M.]

Re: Garage Door Seals-Bottom and Sides

All you guys have roll-up doors. Anyone find anything for us guys with hinged barn-type doors? Swing-out barn doors match my 100+ year old house, and roll-up doors don't. Something to seal up the bottom and edges would be a plus, but cruising those sights doesn't show me anything. Maybe there just isn't enough of us non-conformists.

[Paul J.]

Re: Garage Door Seals-Bottom and Sides

Steve:

Check out the thread on October 28, 2008 by Joe Raine titled "Garage Heating and Cooling". There is a discussion of garage door seals and thier availability and there are pictures from me and John Hinckley far down into the thread. This mught be of some help.

Paul

[Chuck S.]

Re: Garage Door Seals-Bottom and Sides

All you guys have roll-up doors. Anyone find anything for us guys with hinged barn-type doors? Swing-out barn doors match my 100+ year old house, and roll-up doors don't. Something to seal up the bottom and edges would be a plus, but cruising those sights doesn't show me anything. Maybe there just isn't enough of us non-conformists.

The last gagage I saw with swinging doors had an "original" dirt floor.

[Patrick T.]

Re: Garage Door Seals-Bottom and Sides

Any suggestions as to what has worked best for you? As in my other post, I need to keep the snakes out. Steve

I thought I was the only one with snakes in the garage!

[Steven B.]

Re: Garage Door Seals-Bottom and Sides

Thanks for the good leads guys! I really appreciate it.

Terry, about ten years ago when living north of Atlanta I helped an MG guy with his swinging garage doors. We used 1" X 2" wood strips on the inside of the vertical and top door frame with the same house entry door type channel weatherstrip. The flat part of the weatherstrip was between the 1" X 2" strip and the door jamb and the round section sealed between the door and the 1" X 2". At the bottom of the door we used adhesive to mount 1" round weatherstrip to the vertical section of the concrete floor entry ledge so the strip fit between the garage floor and door when closed. I think he had to replace that a couple of times. We got everything at Home Depot.

Good Luck!

Steve

[Terry M.]

Re: Garage Door Seals-Bottom and Sides

I once rented a garage with a roll-up door and dirt floor, but this floor is concrete.

[Terry M.]

Re: Garage Door Seals-Bottom and Sides

Thanks Steve. I have been thinking of the 1x2 idea -- it opens up a lot of possibilities. I am leaning to using a rubber strip on the bottom that will sweep along the concrete. The garage is unheated -- so far -- so dust, debris and small animals (as in rodents) are my concerns.