People are generally more familiar with garage door openers, springs, tracks, and other major components, but garage door seals are important as well. They help protect your garage door, keep it clean, and maintain its function. A type of weatherstripping, these seals come in several different types. Here is an overview of what they do and the kinds available on the market.
What Is a Garage Door Seal?
A garage door seal serves as a barrier against water, rain, snow, ice, and anything else the weather can throw at it. It helps prevent air leakage and keep heat inside while preventing bugs, leaves, dust, and other debris from getting in. The seal is essentially a piece of rubber that runs along the bottom and sides of the door. Every garage door has a bottom seal, so here is where we’ll start.
Garage Door Bottom Seals
Sealing gaps between the door and concrete floors, a garage door bottom seal helps weatherproof the garage. It is also called a gasket and is important in keeping your garage clean. Since concrete floors aren’t completely level, the seal helps close up any gaps. Therefore, a variety of problems can occur if the seal breaks.
Types of bottom seals include:
- Bulb seals: Long tubular seals that are rounded at the bottom with a narrow “T” shape at the top. They push upward to spread out over an uneven surface.
- J-Type seals: Installed on a single channel retainer, these seals form a hook shape, like the letter “J”, on each side of the garage door.
- T-type seals: Similar to the J-type seal, these form an inverted “T” when viewed from the side and are installed with single channel retainers.
- Beaded seals: These are also T-shaped but designed to fit into a circular groove and prevent water from seeping under the seal. Beaded seals are used for double channel retainers.
Threshold Seal
Threshold seals attach to concrete floors. They work in conjunction with the garage door bottom seal, providing a raised entrance that keeps out rainwater and debris. The seal is very strong; it can even hold up under the weight of a car. Different sizes and strengths are available.
Brush Seal
This kind of seal looks like a brush on the bottom of the garage door. It may be installed on the sides as well. Used most often for commercial garage doors, it’s typically preferred for high friction areas and on sheet doors/rolling seal doors that bend and flex during operation. Brush seals aren’t as effective at preventing water entry, but do well at keeping out hard debris.
Reverse Angle Mount Seal
A reverse angle seal is made of a hard rubber plastic material, configured as a track where the side of the garage door fits into. It is typically used only for heavy steel doors in commercial buildings. Providing a snug fit on both sides of the door, it forms a “U” shape and is best suited for garage doors that are too thick and heavy to use screws.
Contact Garage Door Doctor
A leading Indianapolis garage door service company, we offer professional repair and installation of commercial and residential garage doors. Our contractors can provide any type of garage door repair, and if you need garage door seal repair or replacement, you can depend on us as well. We are currently providing no contact service, allowing us to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic. Social distancing, sanitization procedures, and use of masks/PPE are protecting our customers and technicians. Call 317-934-7706 or request service online for a free estimate.
The post Different Types of Garage Door Seals appeared first on Garage Door Doctor.
This post first appeared on https://www.garagedoordoctorllc.com