Bottom Seal

The most essential component of climate control for your garage, is the waterproof bottom seal. Exposure to the elements can cause your bottom seal to crack, so you should inspect it on a regular basis. Even though Sacramento and Los Angeles don’t suffer extreme winters, the bottom seal keeps out rain, dust and debris. If you do find that the bottom weather stripping is cracked, warped, and no longer a tight fit, it can easily be replaced. This is a DIY garage door repair you can do yourself with a few basic tools. Purchase a new seal measured to the length of your garage door at a hardware store. Remove the screws attaching the bracket holding in the seal. Remove the old seal and throw it away. Slide the new seal back in its place and reattach the screws.

Weather Stripping Trim On the Top and Sides

First you’ll want to be sure that the wood trim on the perimeter of your garage is in good shape and not rotting or cracked. (Leave about a inch under the wood frame of your garage, so that it is never sitting in water for too long.) Weatherproof trim, made with PVC and rubber, can be found at your local hardware store. The weatherstripping trim can be painted with latex or oil-based paint. It is guaranteed not to rot. This task is slightly more complicated than replacing the bottom seal. First, pry off the old trim. Measure and mark the horizontal vinyl trim ⅛ of an inch from the inside edge in several spots. Prep the trim by starting the installation nails at 8-inch intervals along the trim length. (Some have pre-punched nail guides at 8-inch intervals.)

Measure the top opening of your garage from side to side. Cut the vinyl trim square with a trim-cutting tool or a fine-tooth saw. Place the trim so that the edge where the hard vinyl joins the weather seal aligns with the marks you made earlier. Drive the pre-placed nails the rest of the way in. Installing the vertical trim on either side will follow the same process, but check instructions on your particular brand to see what cuts need to be made to ensure a snug fit in the corners.