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Garage doors are a home’s biggest access point. If they have a faulty seal, your house can be exposed to the elements – including the wind, cold, heat, and unwelcome pests like rodents and insects.
Sealing your garage door has many benefits beyond energy savings and protection, however. Learn more about the overlooked benefits of a sealed garage door, how to check if your door is sealed, and what you can do to fix it.
“The biggest benefit of sealed garage doors is reducing your energy costs by keeping your air conditioning or heat from escaping your home – and the outside air coming in – but that’s not all.”
Sealed vs. Unsealed Garage Doors: What’s the Difference?
A sealed garage door will have weatherstripping or astragal, a rubber or vinyl piece attached to the bottom and sides of the garage door. The purpose of the seal is to keep pests, the elements, and cold or hot air from getting into your garage while keeping your heated or cooled air inside.
An unsealed garage door needs this weatherstripping. Some garage doors fit flush against the garage frame, but more than that may be needed to keep the elements, insects, and critters out. Sometimes, the garage door isn’t flush against the frame, leaving a more significant gap.
Why Sealed Garage Doors Are Essential
The most significant benefit of sealed garage doors is reducing your energy costs by keeping your air conditioning or heat from escaping your home – and the outside air coming in – but that’s not all.
Protection from Water and Flooding
Water damage often builds over time. Regular rainstorms can cause damage to your garage if your door doesn’t have a proper seal, as water leaks underneath the garage doors and can spread over the ground, damaging your wood, flooring, and anything you’re storing at ground level.
Worse yet, once the water evaporates, it creates condensation in your garage. Mold can grow on your walls and around your windows, leading to overgrowth. Sealing your garage doors can keep the rain out, even with bad storms, and prevent these problems.
Improved Energy Efficiency
Cold air in the winter and hot air in the summer can get into your garage through cracks in the seal. If your garage has climate control, your heating and cooling system has to work harder to control the temperature. In addition, some of the heated or cooled air will leak outside, so your home may not feel comfortable, no matter how hard your system is running.
Weatherstripping on your garage doors prevents drafts and keeps the indoor and outdoor air inside. Once your door is sealed correctly, you’ll likely notice decreased energy bills.
Protection from Pests
Pests like insects and rodents can enter a home in many ways, including a tiny crack left by your unsealed garage door. Once inside and surrounded by food, water, and warmth, they can reproduce and lead to a much larger infestation.
It’s not just a matter of not wanting critters in your home. Pests can carry dangerous diseases that can put your family at risk, or they may contaminate your food supply. Some pests damage your home and possessions, such as mice or rats that burrow into walls and chew on electrical wiring.
Is My Garage Door Sealed?
Many homeowners don’t bother to look at their garage door until there’s a problem. However, inspecting your door regularly can help you catch a worn seal before it creates problems. Here are some ways to check:
- Look for light at the bottom of your door. Wait until night, turn the light on in your garage, and close the door. Go outside and peek at the bottom of the door. You know the seal isn’t in good condition if you see a sliver of light.
- Test out the seal with water. Without opening your garage door, splash some water on the base of the door, then go inside and inspect the floor. If you see some water leaking into your garage, the seal has a problem. You could also check after a rainstorm.
- Feel for drafts. This is a simple test. Just hold a piece of paper against the perimeter of the closed door. If it moves, that means there’s a draft coming from outside, and the seal isn’t working correctly.
- Check visually. If your garage door seal gets too old, you can see signs like discoloration, holes, cracks, or visible deterioration. A working seal should be pliable and have some give. If you push on your garage door seal and it’s hard, stiff, or cracking in spots, rather than bending, it’s time to replace it. Seals can also warp with time, leading to some areas hanging higher or lower than others.
How to Seal a Garage Door
Garage door weatherstripping needs to be replaced from time to time as it ages and becomes less pliable. Fortunately, it’s an easy fix – you just have to remove the old seal and install a new one.
However, this task should be performed by a professional garage door installer, as an improperly installed garage door seal can throw off your door’s alignment. You also risk throwing the door off its tracks since you will need to use the equipment on the door to replace the weatherstripping.
Protect Your Home with a Sealed Garage Door
Is it time to replace your garage door seal? Austin’s Greater Garage Doors offers a range of garage door services, including garage door seals, garage door trim, garage door repair, and garage door installation in Austin. Contact us today to schedule a consultation!