Winter is almost upon us, and the temperatures are going to drop and the elements are going to get harsh. As any Utahn knows, the weather in Utah can be incredibly fickle, and snowstorms can spark up at any moment. For this reason, it’s time to start getting your home ready for everything that winter brings. In terms of your garage, not having the right insulation means that you will be letting in precipitation and spending more on heating. One way to help prevent this is to weather-seal your garage door. Here are some ways to do just that…
Use a bottom seal
First of all, the biggest leak in your garage, in terms of the air that is allowed to escape and come in, is the bottom of your garage door. For this reason, you want to make sure that you have an effective rubber or vinyl seal along the bottom of the door that is going to mitigate these leaks. A high-quality garage door bottom seal prevents water, dirt, and small pests from creeping into your garage. You can buy these at any home improvement store or garage door specialist for roughly $50, but that investment will pay off dividends. It is a cost-effective solution that can significantly enhance the comfort and energy efficiency of your garage.
Add a threshold seal to the ground
Once you have a seal on the bottom of the door itself, you want to make sure that there is an alternate seal on the ground that will maximize the insulation. This is called a threshold seal. Essentially, you lay this seal on the ground between your garage and your driveway so that the bottom seal on your garage door will cohesively connect to it. It’s important that this is installed properly, so that it doesn’t move when you are frequently driving and walking over it.
Add weatherstrip around the rest of the door
Once the bottom section of the garage door is weather-sealed, you want to cover up the leaks around the rest of your garage door, where there is almost certainly cracks that expose your garage to the outside elements, constantly, and wear water and air leaks will continuously occur. Weatherstripping is particularly important for older garage doors that may have developed gaps over time. By filling in these gaps, weather stripping helps in preventing air leaks and improving overall insulation. To do this, you can get some garage door weatherstrip from any home improvement store. Essentially, you take the weatherstrip and then tack it around the top and sides of your garage door. After that, you’ll have a pretty much impenetrable garage!
By following these tips on how to seal a garage door, you can significantly improve the comfort and energy efficiency of your garage. Investing in a garage door bottom seal and garage door weather stripping for the parameter, you can keep your space protected from the harsh winter elements. Stay warm and enjoy a well-sealed garage this winter!
For more expert tips and professional garage door services, contact A Plus Garage Doors. We’re here to help you keep your garage in top shape all year round!
