The rubber strip along the bottom of your garage door is easy to ignore, right up until water is running across the floor or a mouse has found its way in. That bottom seal, along with the weather stripping around the frame, is your garage's first line of defense, and in Atlanta's climate it earns its keep. Here is how to know when it is time to replace it.
What the Bottom Seal Actually Does
The seal fills the gap between the door and the floor when it is closed, and it does a lot of quiet work:
- Keeps water out: our heavy summer downpours push water under a worn seal and across the garage floor.
- Blocks pests: mice, insects, and other critters slip through even a small gap.
- Holds temperature: a good seal keeps the summer heat and winter cold from pouring in under the door, which matters most for attached garages.
- Keeps out leaves and dust: less sweeping, less grime.
Signs Your Seal Needs Replacing
Bottom seals are cheap and they wear out, so this is normal maintenance, not a major repair. Look for these signs:
- You can see daylight under the door when it is closed.
- The rubber is cracked, brittle, flattened, or torn.
- Water, leaves, or bugs are getting in.
- You feel a noticeable draft or the garage runs hotter than it used to.
Do Not Forget the Frame
The bottom seal gets the attention, but the weather stripping along the sides and top of the door frame matters too. It seals the gaps where the door meets the jamb, and it dries out and pulls away over the years just like the bottom seal. If you are replacing one, it is worth checking the other.
A Quick, Worthwhile Fix
Replacing a bottom seal is inexpensive and makes an immediate difference in how weathertight your garage feels. We often swap the seal as part of a garage door maintenance visit, when we are already checking the springs, rollers, and balance. If your door is old enough that the seal is the least of its problems, a modern insulated new garage door installation seals up tight and handles Atlanta heat far better than an older single-layer door.
Seeing daylight or water under your door? Our team provides same-day garage door repair across metro Atlanta with a free on-site estimate, and we can make your garage weathertight again.