I have two wooden garage doors (home is 45 years old and doors seem to be also). For the most part they work well in the original tracks as far as going up and down with my Craftsman openers. However they never do (and never did) seem to fit real well when they are closed shut. I can see light at the top and at certain areas along each side. My HVAC guy mentioned that I really should try to have the doors insulated - meaning the endges, so that it makes a reasonable seal during both winter and summer seasons to help out a bit with air infiltration. He said this type of around the door insulation could be gotten from Home Depot.
If the doors don't ever seem to close tightly in the first place will any side molding insulation really do anything? I'm thinking that if anything it might further interfere with the travel of the doors and ultimately get rubbed or torn off anyway.
The gap at the top can be sealed easily. Since the door is only against the top beam when closed, you can put an appropriately thick and wide strip of foam or tubular rubber gap seal across the top.
The sides are only slightly more problematic. You may not be able to get as tight a seal as at the top, but you can at least close the gap. Here a feathered-edge strip of rubber or aluminum can be fitted up the sides, at a
30-45 degree angle from the wall, so the free edge just lies against the outside edge of the door. The top of the strip has to be placed so it is positioned properly against the bottom corner of the door when the door is open, so the strip is not "caught" by the door.
Sorry - an insulated garage door in what is an apparently uninsulated garage won't do anything to save money. All sealing the gaps may do is keep a little dust out of the garage.
you didn't mention the kind of climate you are in, one of the many variables at play as to the best answer for you
sealing the doors might trap humidity (especially if you park vehincles in the garage and pull in after a rain when the vehicles are wet), leading to accelerated deterioration of those materials/ietms negatively effected by humidity
if you park vehicles in the garage or store chemicals ther (oil, paints, etc.), sealing could trap more chemical (gasoline, oil, paint, etc.) fumes than an aerated garage already does
seailng could also trap heat in the garage in summer (some people install vents to release heat in hot months)
there's no easy answer but generally garages should not be hermetically sealed
My garage is insulated above it and in the walls. I suffer the problem of the OP. My garage door leaks a lot of air because of gaps when shut. While I do not heat the garage, it does keep warmer which is nice. I've always wondered how to properly fill the gaps, considering I have an arched garage entry.
Mine is much the same, and it does stay warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. However I don't recommend trying to seal it up. I like it loose. If you were to seal it well, you would be sealing in all the moisture that comes in with the cars and would likely end up with more rust etc.
Yes, it is very dry in the garage right now. I have wood stairs in there up to the house that are not stained. They are 7 years old and in almost new condition.
-- Door not closing completely, pushing the top in against the top of the opening.
-- Worn or loose trim. The door should "pop" a little when you pull the emergency release rope/handle. There should be a springy mechanism, usually part of the emergency release, where as the door finishes the last inch or so of movement, the spring compresses, pushing the top firmly against the opening.
Yes, it can, and it's not expensive, it's easy to apply, and works well. Definitely a DIY project for an afternoon.
It IS possible the tracks are misaligned and they aren't holding the door close enough to the opening, but it sounds like your guy would have noticed if that were the problem. It has to be a loose fit in order for the door to be able to slide up and down without being stuck by pressing against the frame.
Yes. That is the purpose of such insulation. Most any garage door will let you see light along the sides in places and at the top, too. It's more a trim than it is an insulation and simply lightly presses against the door edges (sides and top) to complete the seal.
I'm thinking that if
We've lived here 14 years now. The seals (insulation in your constext apparently) are just now beginning to show wear. I re-hammered the staples last year to reseat it, and it still works well. I'm hoping to get around to replacing it this fall.
It's just sort of a flexible "lip" that nails to the frame and when the door comes down, it slips up against it and seals the openings. Heated or not, they're very handy since they keep out dust and dirt and, if it's an attached garage, it also keeps the cold wind from refilling the garage as the cold air slowly leaks into the house walls and house itself.
I'm sorry, I can't agree with most of that. Due to the inherent construction of garages, it's just not an issue with the exception that flammable liquids should NEVER be kept in any kind of closed structure - sealing is irrelevent in that case. In all other cases i's relevant, and does NOT increase humidity uncontrollably. This information just doesn't hold water and goes directly against my experiences over the years.
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