Part of your regular garage door maintenance should be making sure your garage door’s weather stripping is in good condition. Weather stripping is a flexible seal that runs the length of the top, sides and bottom of your garage door. It is there to seal the gap between the door and its frame as well as the door and the ground. Weather stripping keeps the elements out of your garage and helps better insulate the garage. Because it’s made of plastic and rubbery materials, after a while it becomes brittle and will dislodge or fall apart. Why should you care? Well, this leads to a lack of insulation or temperature control in your garage, and it also leaves your garage susceptible to water intrusion during the rainy months. Bad weather stripping = energy loss + property damage.
When Do I Know to Change My Garage Door’s Weather Stripping?
Knowing when to change your garage door’s weather stripping is pretty simple. When you’re performing your regular garage door maintenance inspection, which you should be doing every 6-12 months, take a look at the weather stripping. If it’s brittle, forming a crackling pattern on the surface or falling out of its track, it’s time to replace it.
How to Switch Your Garage Door’s Weather Stripping Yourself
Weather stripping is a fairly simple DIY garage door repair. You can find weather stripping at your local home improvement store, and you can easily replace it yourself, so long as you pay very good attention to the alignment. Improperly aligned weather stripping doesn’t seal anything and can interfere with the function of your garage door.
To change your weather stripping:
- Identify the type of weather stripping you need: Not every garage door takes the same type of weather stripping, so you’ll need to determine the type before you head to the hardware store.
- Cut it to size using a saw: There’s not a standard one-size-fits-all garage door, so you’ll have to measure and cut to exact size.
- Slide or Nail it in: You can nail in weather stripping by hand or with a power tool. Or, depending on the type, you slide it in and secure it with screws. Never use adhesive to install your weather stripping – it won’t last long at all.
- Check your work: Your weather stripping should sit exactly flush with the edges of the garage door and should be securely set in place – No gaps, no breaks.
If you don’t have the time or don’t want to deal with the bother, give us a call. We’re always happy to help, and as far as repairs for garage doors go, this one is a piece of cake. But if you’ve got initiative to save yourself a bit of money and learn something new, this is one of the few times we’ll recommend a DIY garage door repair.