Is your garage door ready for winter?  With cold weather upon us homeowners are busy getting oil tanks filled and furnaces cleaned before the snow falls.  We suggest adding the frequently overlooked garage door to your winter preperations. Being the largest opening in many homes, the garage door can be a leading source of heat loss.

 

Visually inspect your garage door for gaps around the sides, between sections, and at the bottom of the door when fully closed.  An easy way to do this is to stand inside the garage with the lights off during the day.  If any light is visible or if you feel drafts, you could be losing money as well as heat.  This is especially important if your garage is insulated or attatched to your home.  You should also check any existing vinyl weatherseal, located on the exterior of your door along the perimeter of the opening, for signs of wear.  Sagging or cracked seals will not protect your home from the elements and should be replaced.  We stock a variety of colors to complement your home's exterior.  Always make sure the door jambs and header are in good condition first as the vinyl seal will not be able to do it's job if attatched to rotted wood.

 

The weatherstripping located at the bottom of your garage door serves two purposes:  one is to provide a cushion for the door when closing to prevent it from hitting the cement floor, the other is to form a tight seal to keep out the elements.  Similar to the vinyl perimeter seals, it is partially exposed to sunlight and/or precipitation and will wear out over time.  Whether it's caused by snow and ice buildup or by squirrels desperate to reach the bag of birdseed in the garage, the bottom rubber should be replaced if cracked and full of holes.  We carry many different types to accomodate a variety of garage door materials and thicknesses including plastic and metal retainers to help hide blemishes such as wood rot and doors that appear crooked due to uneven flooring.

 

Threshold can sometimes be installed on a sloped garage floor to prevent rain and snow from entering.  A heavily damaged or cracked floor would need to be repaired prior to installing any threshold.  Available in aluminum which is secured directly to the floor with tap cons and caulking as well as a rubber version adhered by a waterproof sealant,  threshold is installed directly under the garage door across the entire width of the opening.  Due to drying times for the adhesives, a job like this should be done on a clear day when the floor is dry and the garage door can be left in closed position for 24 hours.

 

Perhaps you have a budget friendly non-insulated steel garage door.  You may have noticed it is hollow having no interior backing to protect against weather.  Styrofoam insulation kits can be ordered to help increase energy savings, structural integrity, and quiet operation of your garage door.  Pricing varies by the size and quantity of doors and may only be available for some models.  It may also be a good time to upgrade your doors.  Our Steel Thermacore Collection, available in a flush or raised panel, comes with foamed in place polyurethane insulation and a bulb type bottom rubber to provide up to a 17.5 R-Value - saving you money during all of Minnesota's fluctuating seasons.  However if a new garage door doesn't fit into your holiday budget, all of the above repairs are DIY friendly and can safely be done by the homeowener or by calling us to schedule a free estimate.