In this blog entry, the professional Charleston garage door installation team here at A1 Garage Door Charleston will detail the most important things to know about garage door weather stripping.
What exactly is door weather stripping?
Weather stripping lines the top, bottom, and side edges of your garage door or garage door frame. Usually made from vinyl or rubber, weather stripping protects garage door stability and keeps air, debris, animals, and insects from entering your garage.
What are the benefits of garage door insulation strips?
There’s a range of benefits associated with adding garage door weather stripping to your home. It can keep cool air inside your home during the Summer, and keeps warm air inside your home during the Winter – especially if your garage is attached to your home. This can help lower your utility bills. Garage weather stripping helps keep the elements outside of your garage, protecting your garage interior from damage or flooding. This is essential during Winter, as standing water can turn into ice quickly. Garage bottom seals can also protect the bottom of your garage door from scraping against the door which generally reduces gradual damage and wear and tear.
What are the main kinds of garage weather stripping?
- Garage Bottom Seals– Also known as door sweeps, these long strips of vinyl or rubber piping attach to the bottom part of your garage door with a steel aluminum, or PVC retainer. They compress against the floor when the door is closed to create a tight seal. Usually garage bottom seals are nailed onto the lower edge of wooden doors rather than with a retainer. Side and top seals will be attached to the rest of the jamb around the garage’s entrance.
- Garage Threshold Seals – These seals attach to the garage floor rather than the door, and are used instead of, or along with a bottom seal. They are usually made of vinyl, aluminum, or rubber, and are installed right behind the garage door with a strong adhesive for concrete fixing screws. Thresholds are ideal for keeping water out of your garage if your driveway slopes down to the door opening. They are also ideal for filling large gaps under your garage door, or leveling an uneven garage entrance. If you regularly sweep or hose your garage, garage threshold seals might have to be navigated around.
- Garage Door Stop Weather Stripping– These vinyl or rubber insulation strips are directly attached to the wooden door stop molding on the garage door jamb. They have a flap on the door stop molding which presses on the closed garage door creating a tight seal along the sides and top of the garage door.
- Integrated Weather Stripping – Usually made of vinyl, these are made of a combination of wood-appearance molding strips with a weather tight and flexible flange. They are ideal for older garage doors with stops that require full replacement and update with a more solid and durable form of insulation.
- Garage Door Panel Weather Stripping– These products seal the gaps between individual garage panels when your garage door is closed. They are made of flexible rubber and have a special V shape that creates an even and durable seal. They are most often used on older wooden garage doors that have flat edged panels, as opposed to modern garage doors that usually have interlocking edges that prevent air loss.