How To Seal A Garage Door Correctly In 2023 : 4 Best Ways

Have you noticed rodents and debris inside your garage? If yes, the issues could be with the garage door.

The garage is an essential part of your house, and you keep several things inside it. If the door is sealed, it helps keep rodents, pests, debris, and rainwater away from the garage. 

But the seals can get damaged or crack with time, allowing rainwater or pests inside the garage. So, how to seal a garage door? Well, it is a simple process, and you require a few hand tools to seal a garage door and protect your home from weather elements and rodents. 

So, keep reading this article to know more about this information.

Advantages Of Sealing Garage Door

There are numerous advantages of sealing garage doors. We are discussing them below.

1. Blocks Rain Water

An unsealed garage door can be the reason for entering the rainwater inside the garage. The rainwater can damage everything you have kept on the garage ground. 

The rainwater can evaporate with time, but the condensation inside the garage will be challenging to escape. It will gather all over the windows and electronic devices and can spread mold and other microorganisms, increasing the risk of various health issues.

But sealing the garage door can block the rainwater and prevent various things inside your garage to damage.

2.Reduce Your Energy Bills

The chilled air in the winter or warm air in the summer can enter through the garage door cracks and force the air conditioning system or heating devices to work more. It finally increases your energy bill.

But sealing the garage door can reduce your energy bill. Hot or cold air can enter the garage when required.

3. Keep Away From Insects And Rodents

The insects and rodents can enter through the gaps below the garage door and destroy various things inside it. They can soon enter the rest of the house and destroy things or carry fleas.

Sealing a garage door can prevent insects and rodents from entering the garage.

4. Prevents From Damaging The Door

The unsealed garage can be the reason for entering rainwater or rodents inside the garage. But water and rodents can damage the garage door soon, and you will require to repair it.

But good sealing on the garage door can increase its life span and does not require frequent repairs. 

How To Seal A Garage Door?

Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t know the importance of garage door seals. You can check the garage door seals on a sunny day. Go inside your garage and close the door. Try even to turn off the lights inside the garage. 

If the sunlight seeps inside the garage, it indicates that the seal inside your garage is cracked or damaged, and you need to seal your garage door again.

We have discussed below a few ways to seal the garage door easily at home.

1. Seal Garage Door Bottom

You can seal the garage door bottom in two ways, i.e., by a threshold seal and a bottom seal.

A.Threshold seal

You can use a threshold seal to seal the garage door’s bottom portion. But for this, you need a few tools like

• A measuring tape
• Hacksaw or knife
• Pencil 
• Ruler

You need to clean the garage properly and remove all the dust and debris and then try to install the threshold seal. The seal comprises rubber or vinyl and is extremely useful in preventing rainwater and strong wind from blowing inside the garage. But cleaning the threshold seal may create an issue in removing the debris outside the garage door.The threshold seal is fixed just beneath the garage door, i.e., on the ground, by an adhesive so that it will last longer.

You can even combine the threshold seal with the bottom seal to seal your garage door.The installation of this seal is quite simple and requires minimal effort. Let’s discuss the steps below.

• Your first step will be to take a measuring tape and measure the distance between the garage door rivets.
• Take a knife or hacksaw and cut the threshold seal according to the measurement you have taken above.
• Now place the cut portion of the seal on the ground, i.e., between the garage door rivets.
• Noe closes the garage door and pushes the seal so that it will remain just beneath the garage door.
• Take a pencil and mark along the two sides of the threshold seal.
• Your next step will be to clean the marked areas. Take sandpaper and rub it on the marked areas to remove any dust. 
• Next, take a vacuum cleaner and remove any possible dust and dirt.
• You can take wine spirit and cloth and remove the leftover grease and dirt from the marked areas.
• Apply the adhesive or glue on the marked areas.
• Apply the glue in a zigzag pattern in between the pencil lines. Try to apply the glue quickly; otherwise, it may dry out, and you cannot properly seal the garage door.
• Take the threshold seal you cut earlier and lay it on where you have applied glue. Use your hands and press the seal to attach it firmly to the ground.
• If glue leaks, take wine spirit and a cloth to wipe the excess glue.
• Now close the garage door and check the seal. If you have done it correctly, no light will seep inside the garage door.

B.Bottom Seal

• Your first duty will be to remove the old bottom seal if applied. 
• The seals usually crack with time. So, remove the screws holding the seal and pull them off.
• Fold the bottom seal so that T shape edges will face upward.
• Now align the bottom weather seal inside the grooves of the bottom edge of the door and pull it as if you are pulling curtains. You can take the help of another person so that one will align the weather seal inside the grooves, and the other will help in holding and pulling the seal.
• Tuck the extra strip to prevent shrinking in the future. You can skip this step and strip off the extra length.
• Your garage door is now sealed and a barrier for different weather elements and pests.

2. Seal Garage Door Top By Brush Style Seal

• Raise the garage door by your hand so you can properly access the top beam.
• Take an old cloth and pour some methylated spirit clean on the beam surface to remove dust and grease.
• A brush-style seal will work perfectly in sealing the top of your garage door.
• Lay the seal on the ground and keep the bottom portion up. Now put at least double sides tapes on it. The size tape can be 75 to 100 mm long, and attach them at a distance of 1.5 feet from each other. Now pull the brush about 2 inches and cut it with the help of a hacksaw or utility knife.
• Now open the packing of the double-sided tape and install it on the I beam. You can then attach the next seal after the first seal. You need to attach the second seal so that the brush of the second seal will tuck in the track of the first seal. Attach the third seal accordingly. Continue to spread the seal until it completely covers the I-beam of the garage.
• You need to be a bit careful while adding the last seal. Use a measuring tape and measure the distance covered by the third seal.
• Now mark the calculated distance on the last seal to be attached to the I beam with a pencil and cut off the extra portion with a hack saw or knife.
• Attach on the I beam, and you have completed sealing the top beam.

3. Seal The Sides Of The Garage Door

Now you know how to seal the top and bottom sides of the garage door. But you need to also think about the sides of the garage door, as rodents and pests can enter from the sides and can damage various things inside it.

You can easily seal the garage door by using a weather stripping seal, but for this try to remove the old one from the garage door. It’s pretty simple to install the seal on the sides of the garage door.

• The weather usually comprises rubber and comes with nails. You can also use screws instead of nails for attaching the seals.
• Close the garage door because by doing this you can properly install the seal on the sides of the door.
• Clean the sides by taking an old cloth damp in methylated spirit.
• Now place one end of the strip on the top of the garage. You can use your drill machine to drill holes in the strip and the wood trim.
• It is difficult to drill a hole in the sides, mainly on the corners.
• Take one screw and insert it into the hole of the rubber’s trip.
• You can then try to put the screw in the wooden trim hole and tighten it with your hand. Well, that will not be enough. Now use a drill to tighten the screw further. The screw must go deep into the wood trim.
• You can now open the garage door and attach the strip on the sides of the door.
• Now repeat the process by attaching another screw to the strip. Attach the screw at least 8 inches below the first one.
• Lay the strip on the ground once you reach the bottom.
• Now cut the extra portion of the strip with a scissor.
• Repeat the same procedure on another side of the garage door.

4. Use V Seals

You can use V seals to seal the sides of the garage door. They are also relatively easy to install. You can follow the steps below for installing V seals.

• Take a cloth damp in methylated spirit and clean the sides of the garage door.
• Note measure the distance of the height of the garage door and cut the V seals accordingly.
• Peel off the V strip and attach it to the sides of the garage door.
• Ensure that the V strip is safely attached to the sides.
• You need to check the V strip after two to three months because they deteriorate faster, mainly after the repeated use of the garage door.

Wrap Up

You can seal your garage door to prevent rodents and drafts from entering the garage. The installation will cost you between $160 to $180 and require minimal effort to install the strip. 

You can follow the above methods and try to install the seal on your garage door. But if you think you cannot independently seal the garage door, then take the help of a professional for sealing. The time the seal lasts depends on the location and weather conditions. However, you can expect the seal to last for almost two years.

Thank you for reading this article

FAQ : how to seal a garage door?