Garage Door Seals Are Important to Have in Place During the Winter

For the most part, garage door systems are well-designed pieces of equipment. With just a press of a button, they can raise and lower even the heaviest types of garage doors. They not only operate efficiently but they are also very durable pieces of equipment too. There is one flaw though in the way they have been designed. Garage doors do not make an airtight seal when they are down and closed. This can bring some problems with it both for the garage door equipment and the contents of your garage. Your garage door and contents are especially vulnerable during the winter months if you do not have proper garage door seals in place. This article will go over the different types of garage door seals and what happens if you do not have them properly in place.

The Impact of Not Having Proper Garage Door Seals In Place During The Winter? 

Here are some of the things that can happen to your garage door equipment and stored contents if you do not have proper seals in place: 

• Garage door equipment related problems

Here are some things that can happen to a garage door over the winter if it has no seals or improper seals in place: 

• Moisture will enter your garage in the form of snow or rain and attack the electrical and metal components on your garage door.
• The cold air that passes through the cracks around your garage door opening may impact how your electronic garage door opener works. 
• The important grease around lubricated working parts will thicken and become less effective. This makes your garage door operate more noisily and more prone to part failures. 
• Other cold-weather garage-related problems
• Garage door stored contents will retain moisture and start to smell of mold and mildew. 
• Automobiles tend not to start up as well when exposed to colder temperatures
• It will cost much more to heat a garage over the course of the winter 

The Different Types of Garage Door Seals 

These are some of the important garage door areas that need to be sealed and the types of seals that do that job best: 

• Bottom seals 

These are not only the most critical types of garage door seals but they are also the garage door seals that are hardest to maintain. They take up any gaps that occur between the bottom of a garage door and the floor surface when that garage door is closed.

• J-Type Seals – these types of garage door seals are used along with single-channel retainers. They are appropriately named because they form the letter ‘J’ on both sides of the garage door bottom when it’s shut.  
• T-Type Seals – these are very simple garage door seals and not great for super-cold weather areas. They look like an inverted ‘T’ when in place and working on a closed garage door. 
• Bulb Seals – these are somewhat different looking garage door seals. That’s because they look like long rounded tubes that have narrower tops on them.  This makes them ideal for use in conjunction with uneven garage floors. They make a near watertight seal and are always used with single-channel retainers.  
• Beaded Seals – For those that experience ponding and water seepage through the bottom of their garage door these are the most effective types of seals to use. They are also the toughest type of garage door bottom seals. These seals are different than other kinds of bottom seals because they use double-channel retainers. Both sides of this seal curve upwards when working so they fit tightly inside of the circular grooves in the double-channel retainers.  
• Garage door side and top seals 

These types of garage door seals most closely resemble weather-stripping or flexible, irregular shaped type seals: 

• Brush weather seal 

These types of seals are ideal for garage doors that have many folding sections. They are very flexible and because of that, they do not have to be replaced often. The drawback to them is they do not make an airtight seal.

• PVC top and side weather seal 

These seals are much tougher than brush weather seals and make a much more airtight seal. The drawback to them is they will lose their flexibility over time and need to be replaced more often than brush weather seals.

Cold Weather Garage Door Maintenance Tips 

These are some other steps you can take to keep your garage door in good working order throughout the cold weather season: 

• Keep snow from building up around the bottom of your garage door. The more snow that builds up on your garage door the more likely it will impact how your garage door operates. 
• Take steps to stop ice accumulation around the bottom of your garage door. Failure to do this could result in your garage door having to stress and strain to start opening. This could result in a part breakdown and costly repair. If your garage door does not start to open immediately during the winter months do not force your garage door opener to try and open the garage door.
• Make sure all metal working parts are properly lubricated with grease that can handle colder temperatures. This will help better protect those parts during the cold winter months. 
• Keep your garage heated. This will help your garage door electrical components function better in the winter and keep outside garage door ice and snow buildup to a minimum.
• Never leave remotes outside in your car during colder weather. This quite possibly could cause the batteries to drain prematurely or these devices not to work right. 

A Garage Door Tech Can Help You Resolve Any Winter Garage Door Issues You Are Having

If by chance you have any garage door problems over the winter the best way to resolve them is to call a garage door professional. Garage door companies such as Turner Sandy Springs Garage Door, LLC out of Sandy Springs, Georgia are experts at resolving winter garage door problems.