Your properties often require so much upkeep it gets easy to forget about all the small things that we need to keep on eye on. Garage weatherstripping is one of those important items that we should be intermittently changing. How often you’ll need to change your stripping will depend on what the weather conditions are where you live, but here are some warning signs that you need to change or upgrade your weatherstripping.
Cracked Trim
As soon as your garage door, or any other stripping starts to become cracked, it’s time to replace it. Replacing it early on is going to prevent any of the other items on this list from happening. If you don’t replace your weatherstripping on your garage door early on, and it’s significantly damaged you might not be able to pull it off the track. This means you might need to actually take the track off the door and this will complicate your job. If you just purchased a home, or you haven’t thought of changing the stripping in a while, it’s the first thing you should look for. You can try to repair minor damage, but if it becomes significantly cracked, you’ll need garage door repair or a new garage door installation with the help of professional garage door repair services as soon as possible.
Air Flow
A draft in your garage shouldn’t be happening, so if you’re noticing that there’s any airflow immediately check your weatherstripping for damage. Even if the weatherstripping is in relatively good condition, it may not have been installed properly, or you may have a draft from windows. If your weatherstripping is in poor condition it probably just needs to be changed, which is annoying but not a complicated job. If you’re still finding it cool in your garage after changing your weatherstripping, a trustworthy website might give you ideas for heaters you can install. A garage heater is going to keep the area warm, in ways that weatherstripping might be unable to do. Many people decide to place siding and stripping along the sides of the garage doors in order to further reduce air flow.
Rubbish Is Coming In
Another sign that you’re stripping will need to be changed is if you notice an unusual amount of leaves and debris in your garage. If you’re not tracking this in yourself, it’s probably sliding through under the door from the wind. The garage seal should be tight enough that it doesn’t let anything slide under the door, even wind and yard detritus. This could be a sign that your door needs to be adjusted, or the weatherstripping needs to be changed. This is why keeping an eye on it is so important, you’re probably not going to enjoy the extra time with your broom.
Animal Visitors
It never ceases to amaze me the small cracks that mice and moles can sneak themselves through. If you notice any fecal matter from these furry critters, odds are you have a weatherstripping issue in the garage. The garage door is probably the largest point of entry that these critters are going to find if the stripping is damaged. If you have a heater this is going to especially attract them, so you’ll want to ensure that you change the stripping. Unfortunately, getting rid of these critters is a lot harder than keeping them out, so it’s important to keep updated on changing your stripping.
Excess Water
Windswept water, or excessive water from snowmelt might make its way into your garage if you’re due for a stripping change. Sometimes this isn’t enough to protect from a large abundance of water and you may want to consider a threshold seal. This depends on if you live in a place where you anticipate a large amount of water coming into your garage. If you’ve experienced this in the past and nothing you do changes the flooding, definitely get a threshold seal. These sits sit on the ground below where the garage door makes contact with the floor and makes the contact much tighter than stripping alone.
There you have it folks, if you’re experiencing any of the above it might be time to change out your weatherstripping. If you’re still experiencing a draft you can check to see if your garage is properly insulated, or if the windows are properly installed. Alternatively, you can purchase a heater to combat the cold. You may want to consider a threshold seal if you’ve been dealing with many rodents or excessive water. The best way to know when to change your weatherstripping is to keep an eye on it, and change it as soon as there’s large signs of wear and tear.