How to seal garage doors with weatherstripping seal and caulk

You’ll want to learn how to seal garage doors if you notice gaps around them: pests, wind, water, and more can enter these gaps and cause problems. We’ll tell you how to seal your garage door sides and top.

• How to seal garage doors with weatherstripping seal
• How to seal garage door gaps between door and weatherstripping 

How to seal garage doors with weatherstripping seal

Before you read our step-by-step instructions on how to seal garage doors, gather everything you need for this project:

• crowbar or sturdy kitchen knife
• weatherstripping seal
• utility knife
• hammer, pneumatic stapler, or drill
• nails (1/2” long)
• cloths and solvent to clean the jamb
• heavy-duty all-around sealant or silicone caulk
• caulking gun

After assembling your tools follow these instructions.

1. Remove old vinyl seal. If your garage door already has a deteriorated vinyl seal, use a crowbar to remove it before installing the new weatherstripping seal. If you do not have a crowbar, use a sturdy kitchen knife to cut through the old caulk and lift the seal. What about nails? When you feel the first nail, twist the knife to lift it.
2. Inspect the jamb. Did you damage the jamb while removing the old seal?
3. Repair jamb. Remove all residue and replace any plaster, wood, or similar with the appropriate material. Use wood putty to fill in holes the old nails left behind. Sand and finish the jamb.
4. Prepare seal. Measure the sides and top of the garage one more time to check your measurements. Cut the seal to the appropriate size with a utility knife.
5. Start on top. Cut and install the top piece first. This approach lets you adjust the side seals and make sure they fit perfectly against the top one later on.
6. Nail beforehand. Before you press the weatherstripping into place, push the nails through the thicker part of the strips. The nails should be about 16” apart.
7. Place seal. Place the weatherstripping flush with the jamb and lightly tap some of the nails to loosely fix the seal into place.
8. Check placement. Put your hands on the door and push it. If you see any gaps, you need to shift the seal closer to the door. Remove the nail closest to the gap, shift the seal, tap the nail into place in its new position, and repeat the check until you see no gaps.
9. Nail into place. Once you have eliminated all the gaps, you can firmly nail the weatherstripping seal into place.
10. Repeat for the sides. Now that the top is in place, repeat steps 6 to 9 for the sides.
11. Apply caulk. Follow the instructions in the next section.

How to seal garage door gaps between door and weatherstripping 

After sealing your garage door with weatherstripping seal, you may see tiny gaps between the seal and jambs, no matter how carefully you nailed the weatherstripping into place. You need to seal them to guarantee the best insulation for your home.

Whichever product you choose, make sure it is compatible with the material of your weatherstripping and jamb.

Here's how to seal garage door gaps between the door and weatherstripping:

1. Gather materials. You need sealant, a caulking gun, a utility knife, cloths, and the proper solvent for clean-up (consult the product’s instructions).
2. Prepare surfaces. They must be dry and free of all dirt, residue, and contaminants.
3. Prepare sealant. Cut the tip of your cartridge to the desired bead size using a utility knife. Load the cartridge into a caulking gun.
4. Apply sealant. Force it into the joint, exerting even pressure.
5. Tooling. The instructions will tell you whether you can tool your product and which tools to use.
6. Let it cure. Let the product cure as recommended in the instructions.
7. Clean-up. You can clean up most uncured products using mineral spirits or paint thinner. You must cut away cured product using a sharp-edged tool.