Fortify Your Garage Against General Winter With Quality Seals
Posted by Charlene Pepiot on 19th Jan 2024
Table of Contents
- Fortify Your Garage Against General Winter With Quality Seals
- Why Put Weatherstripping On a Garage Door?
- Do Garage Door Seals Work?
- Where Should a Garage Door Be Sealed?
- What Are the Best Garage Bottom Seals for Winter?
- How to Seal the Sides and Top of Your Garage Door?
- How to Block Rodents with Weatherseals?
- How do I Replace the Weatherstripping on My Garage Door Before Winter?
- Go Further with North Shore!
- Still Curious About Weather Seals?
Fortify Your Garage Against General Winter With Quality Seals
The season of winter may make for a great postcard, but when it comes to garages, it means total war against an onslaught of poor weather, biting temperatures, encroaching pests, damaging leakage, and more. General Winter is merciless, but we at North Shore have been besting him for years with quality products to stop the season’s worst. Beat back the cold and snow with insulating weatherstripping and stop the army of pests with RodentBlock’s protective steel wool. When you’re at war with winter, add these quality weather seals to your arsenal and take back your garage!
Why Put Weatherstripping On a Garage Door?
Weatherstripping blocks off the natural spaces between a garage door and jamb that would otherwise allow cold air, insects, debris, snow, and more to infiltrate your garage. If you’ve ever felt the wind blowing through the bottom or sides of your door, you know about this vulnerability firsthand. Besides being unpleasant, air leakage can lead to higher energy costs in heating expenses. Moreover, motors and garage operators can fail under extreme temperatures and drain the batteries of keypads, so sealing out cold air can be the difference between leaving home in your car or walking to work.
Do Garage Door Seals Work?
North Shore carries quality weather seals from Action Industries that are made in America and seal up your garage’s problem points to stop up to 99% of air infiltration. Don’t suffer from unnecessary heat loss and save energy by keeping your warm air in the garage!
Where Should a Garage Door Be Sealed?
To increase energy efficiency and obtain full coverage, install weather seals around the top, sides, and bottom of your garage door. Having a top seal, bottom seal, side seals, and jamb seal installed will maximize your protection.
What Are the Best Garage Bottom Seals for Winter?
While any weather seal is better than nothing, certain garage door bottom seals fare better in certain environments.
Extreme Weather? Tri Me.
If you live in a location where extreme weather and a frigid climate are the norm, such as Alaska or Canada, a regular weather seal may struggle to keep out General Winter. Luckily, the Tri-Fin Polar Seal by Action Industries is a heavy-duty, premium seal designed to withstand winter’s worst. The seal is manufactured with durable rubber EPDM, which can withstand a wide range of temperatures from -60 to over 200 degrees Fahrenheit and remain pliable compared to cheaper seal types on the market.
The Tri-Fin rubber seal can hold up in glacial areas with its rubber thermal break that functions as a gasket beneath the retainer and seals tightly. It also contains two fins created specifically for northern work in freezing areas. If one flap is lifted or blown in the wind, the other flap will stay stable so your garage remains protected, weatherproof, and insulated from the cold. Although EPDM seals have a higher price tag, the durability of their specialized rubber is unmatched.
Duraseal is a DuraSTEAL In Milder Climates
Despite the Tri-Fin Seal being the most effective heavy-duty seal, garage owners who live in milder climates but still experience cold weather can get adequate protection from more inexpensive PVC weather seals such as Duraseal. Duraseal is made from flexible PVC vinyl that holds up in the cold and has the added advantage of aesthetics! The seal comes in an array of colors for garages where style is an important factor in making any DIY garage home improvement project pop! Duraseal looks like wood but won't crack, rot, or warp like wooden weatherstripping is prone to do.
The PVC in vinyl is made from the polymerization of the vinyl chloride monomer, which creates chains out of the monomers called polymers. These polymers are then processed into plastics like PVC. Vinyl is a cheaper alternative to EPDM seals, and its versatility and moisture resistance have made it one of the world's most widely used thermoplastic materials.
What is the Quickest Bottom Seal to Install?
When winter hits and you need immediate protection, opt for the U-shaped EZ Zip seal. This one-piece push-in bottom seal is made by Action Industries and is a two-in-one bottom seal and retainer. The design saves time during the installation process, as once the EZ Zip is fixed to the bottom of a garage door, the seal can simply be pushed into the built-in retainer. This product also comes coiled so it is affordable to ship and arrives without damage. Our handy EZ Zip seal kits include everything needed for installation so you can install this garage door threshold seal with ease.
How to Seal the Sides and Top of Your Garage Door?
The best weatherstripping for a garage door top and sides are vinyl stop molding seals. Coiled Duraseal is an attractive option that looks like real wood and comes in white, grey, black, sandstone, and almond.
Its coiled structure means the cost of shipping is far cheaper than other seals and ensures the product arrives without damage. Duraseal is DIY-friendly, so you can install it quickly at the first sign of the changing seasons.
How to Block Rodents with Weatherseals?
With General Winter’s cold winds comes the onslaught of pests seeking shelter—and your garage is the perfect winter lodging. Keep rats, mice, and other critters at bay by installing Xcluder's durable RodentBLOCK weatherseals. RodentBLOCK consists of protective EPDM synthetic rubber and fill fabric made from coarse stainless steel and poly fibers, which create a tough barrier that is virtually impenetrable to rodents. The addition of EPDM rubber also gives you protection against the elements to stop snow and the cold from infiltrating your garage. RodentBLOCK is not only affordable but also available in convenient kits that include everything needed for installation.
Rodents have a combination of stealth and resourcefulness that can make them hard to see. If you’re unsure if you have an infestation, read our article here.
How do I Replace the Weatherstripping on My Garage Door Before Winter?
See below for instructions on how to install or replace weatherstripping before General Winter comes knocking:
Go Further with North Shore!
Walking in a winter wonderland isn’t much fun when it’s inside your garage. After sealing your door to keep the cold out, why not take your garage to greater heights by checking out our array of optional garage accessories? Also, stay on top of any potential garage issues by reading our Guide to Garage Door Maintenance.
Still Curious About Weather Seals?
Please ask! Our in-house experts can help you with your questions on all things seal-related as well as top garage brands on the market. Get in touch with our support crew:
- Live chat: Click the green "Contact Us" button on the right
- Call: 800-783-6112
- Email: support@northshorecommercialdoor.com