This can be tricky to answer without a bit of research and reflection. But it’s important that you determine the seal is working as it should so you don’t lose precious energy or pose a safety risk. Your garage door seal provides value to your garage and home. It’s basically a strip of weather-proof rubber sitting along the very bottom of your door. When the door is closed, the strip forms a seal with the floor.
If it’s working correctly, it will keep the heat in your garage all winter without letting it escape. If you already have an insulated garage door, consider this: most of the air escapes around and through the cracks, so the protective properties of your garage door can only be as effective as the seal it features.
Seals also keep out outside elements, such as moisture, heat loss and critters such as snakes and rodents.
Now that we’re right in the middle of winter, it’s a good time to check the effectiveness of your garage door seal. Because your garage door is the biggest one in your house, it must be properly weatherized through every season so as to keep out high winds, snow, and torrential rains.
Tips
Check out some easy ways to know if your garage door seal is doing its job.
- Close your garage door and shut off the lights during the daylight. If you see light coming in at the sides, bottom or between panels, the seal has deteriorated.
- Check for drafts by taking a long piece of light-weight, transparent tape and holding it over the door and each panel. If you see the tape swinging, it could be catching subtle air movements.
- Check out the rubber seal at the bottom of the door. It’s made of rubber, so it’s prone to deteriorating, even in new doors. That’s because it can crack and become brittle very easily – often one of the first garage door components to go. Check for signs of cracks, deterioration, breaks, adhesion loss and flexibility loss.
- Inspect the exterior vinyl stripping on the outer edges of the door. If you see that it has come loose or has other damage like cracks, it will need to be replaced.
Contact M&M Garage Doors
Here at M&M Garage Door, we would be happy to provide garage door seal replacement. Call us at 586-610-5434 to install new weather protection. We’ll bring the correct supplies and materials designed to complement your brand and style of garage door.