# Sealing up a garage door



## NittanyDoug (May 30, 2006)

I've been slowly insulating my garage. Couple years back I did the walls. Last year I did most of the ceiling and I plan to do the rest this fall. The last peice is the garage door. I'm planning on iso board on the inside for insulation. My problem is that my door doesn't make a real good seal with the trim. The rails for the door are riveted and not adjustable like our doors up north where we can adjust it. The door comes away from the trim 1/4 to 1/2" when I open the door to the house. Or it gets a strong wind. (Door faces the north and we all know Michigan gets no wind from the north in the winter.) 

The trim on the exterior of the door is about 8 years old. Looks in decent condition. I'm thinking that once I get everything insulated I'll still be exposing myself to the elements/cold from this door. I'm not looking to raise bread in the garage, just want a place in the winter where I can warm it up and it will stay warm when I want it. I'm hoping the insulation will also keep the garage warm enough that it won't freeze in there in the winter.

Thanks for any advise.

Doug


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

I this a roll-up sectional door or a one piece tilt-up?


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

If it's a tilt-up, I'm not sure what you can do. But if it's a roll-up, there should be a weatherstrip around the perimeter on the outside. It's about 1/4" thick and 2" wide and made of a fairly flexible vinyl. It has a rubber seal that goes against the door and seals out wind. Here's what it looks like.










They also make an insulation kit for roll-up doors.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053


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## NittanyDoug (May 30, 2006)

It's a sectional door. I have that weatherstripping. I guess that's what I called the door trim. I've looked at the "kits" for insulating the doors. Other than being expensive they look like crap. You are basically stuffing batt insulation into the door and covering it with white foil/plastic and hoping the clips they provide hold it all together.

If I push the door out, it seals well. It's almost as if it's the amount of play in the wheel tracks of the door. Do they make a wider weatherstrip?


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

I'm surprised that you can't adjust the track. Normally you loosen the brackets and just slide the door closer to the frame. But if that's not an option, here's a thought. Maybe remove that weatherstrip and you could install a 1x4 to the existing frame. Slide the 1x close to the door and nail or screw it to the frame. Paint it, and reinstall the weatherstrip. This should seal up the gap pretty well. If I come up with any other ideas, I'll let you know.

John


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## NittanyDoug (May 30, 2006)

That's what I was thinking John. We actually did that at the inlaw's place up north when we installed new doors. Unfortunately at my house, they decided it was better/cheaper to wrap the exterior of the opening with breakmetal. Not sure how that will look if I have 5" of break metal showing and then the trim and then the weatherstrip. The majority of the exterior trim at my house is raw sawn. (I repainted it all last fall so I remember...)


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## Frozenfish (Dec 20, 2004)

Can you adjust the down-force of the door? Just had a spring replaced on mine and that did the trick.


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## NittanyDoug (May 30, 2006)

I'm sure my opener has an adjustment for that. Add a little downforce so the arm holds the doors in place?


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## Frozenfish (Dec 20, 2004)

Yep, just like you pushing on the door to seal it up tight. Mine only took a quater turn, if that. I work on computers, not garage doors so you might want to research it further,


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## WoW. (Aug 11, 2011)

NittanyDoug said:


> It's a sectional door. I have that weatherstripping. I guess that's what I called the door trim. I've looked at the "kits" for insulating the doors. Other than being expensive they look like crap. You are basically stuffing batt insulation into the door and covering it with white foil/plastic and hoping the clips they provide hold it all together.
> 
> If I push the door out, it seals well. It's almost as if it's the amount of play in the wheel tracks of the door. Do they make a wider weatherstrip?


Unless you cut foam for the insulation job, you are wasting your time. I believe that the biggest problem you have right now are the air gaps.

Like has been suggested, the door track should have some adjustment. Otherwise, pop off the weatherstrip (you call it trim) and shoot it back on so it is properly positioned.

Depending who trimmed your door, you might have issues with exposed wood after you remove that trim strip. If the door opening is wood, just go with primed and painted wood to get you back far enough. If it has aluminum or metal, and you want no maintainence, get a PVC trim strip and shoot that on and then replace your existing weatherstrip.


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## NittanyDoug (May 30, 2006)

I can use 3 sheets of iso board/foam and insulate the entire door. The trim itself is wrapped in metal. I'm not sure where that terminates but it must be behind the plastic of the weatherstripping. 

I'll take a couple photos tonight of the garage door track.


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## Hawkman (Oct 4, 2004)

I use Felt between the garage door and the front wall on the door sides. Lift the door, come off the edge about ¼ and staple Felt starting at the top to the bottom. If the fit is not tight, add another layer. Use staples long another to make the Felt stay in place.


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## POLARBEAR (May 13, 2002)

Hey JP, have you used that insulation kit? It might not be a bad idea being fiberglass. My thought is that the rigid foam insulating panels are noisey and leave lots of gaps. That fiberglass panel may fill the cavity of the door panel better?

Another consideration is you will be adding weight to the door and you may have to adjust the springs. 

You can drill out the rivets if the jamb bracket has an elongated slot in it. A 1/4"/20x3/4" bolt with lock washer should fit and lock the track down. 

The 1x4 around the opening is the best option. Wow suggested using the vinyl version of it. I have done that many times. 

There is a another weather seal available that has two vinyl flaps instead of one. 

Another option is to add another weather seal on top of the existing weather seal. push it in to meet the door and try to keep the reveal the same all the way around. This works well.

If you seal the door way up and are heating the garage with a combustable source you need make up air. This air will be drawn in from where ever it can come from. I used to run a torpedo heater in the garages when the temps were below 20. The heater would draw the top of the door in although the opener was pushing the door closed. Another garage we have a wood burner in. When you open the entry door to the garage the door swings open fast if the wood burner is humming. If there is no fire the entry door will just sit there. Point is you can spend alot of time and money to insulate and seal the garage but it needs some air if heated.


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## POLARBEAR (May 13, 2002)

Frozenfish said:


> Can you adjust the down-force of the door? Just had a spring replaced on mine and that did the trick.


Check the down force on the door when it is closed on the floor. If you cant lift the door an inch or so easily then this may not be an option for you.


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

I've never tried the insulation kits. I've got an insulated door already. I've just seen them and know they're available.

John


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