Garage doors pouring water inside through panel seams

[Awesomeblossom]

We had brand new garage doors installed in our new garage. They poured rain in the channels, leaking water all over the floor. They even snowed and iced inside through the door seams, soaking the inner insulation. The seams did not meet together well at all and you could see daylight, so we returned them.

We just had new garage doors installed from a new company, and we were met with a huge downpour last night. One of the three new garage doors was leaking last night. The garage faces the north. The rain was coming out of the southwest and the bulk of it was blocked by the building.

However, starting at the top and all the way down the side, on the inside of the building, rain is just pouring through along the side panels of the door until it soaks the floor. The installer suggested cutting a lip outside where the garage door seals at the floor, but this is not a problem of water getting in from the outside once it's on the ground. This is water getting in the inside of the building, and it would be sealed in with the garage door seal anyway before it even got to the lip.

It's like the surface area of the door is capturing the water, channeling it through along the seams, and dumping it out inside my building during the rain.

Has anyone ever seen this before? I'm starting to feel nuts because no one seems to know what causes it and I cannot have this much water getting in my building!

I have a video but I don't see a way to attach that.

 

[Sevenhills1952]

I'm no expert put my garage six doors never leak. The contractor has a rubber "sweep" (I guess it's called), small nails nailed all around so when doors are shut they're tight against it. Super easy to install.
Then a few years later (still no leaks) but I extended garage with an overhang that goes out about 20-25 ft. which gives spaces to park everyday drivers under and no rain or snow close to doors.
An old barn I have last year we put overhangs on either side. Length of barn but just 14ft. deep. Great for equipment, mowers out of weather and helps doors on it.

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[Farmall450]

I'm no expert put my garage six doors never leak. The contractor has a rubber "sweep" (I guess it's called), small nails nailed all around so when doors are shut they're tight against it. Super easy to install.
Then a few years later (still no leaks) but I extended garage with an overhang that goes out about 20-25 ft. which gives spaces to park everyday drivers under and no rain or snow close to doors.
An old barn I have last year we put overhangs on either side. Length of barn but just 14ft. deep. Great for equipment, mowers out of weather and helps doors on it.

Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk

I don't think he means a lack of weather stripping, I think he means it's leaking between the panels, which is a new one for me. Some strong winds and rain and I could see it.

 

[xyster101]

Your doors are not supposed to leak from rain. There is a raised "bump" between each door. You can see this as the door goes up between them. This is to keep rain and wind out.
There should also be rubber sweeps along the sides and top of the door. There should be a compressible rubber on the bottom of the door to seal to the floor.
The door also needs to be pretty close to touching or touching the framing when down. The way the tracks work, the door moves back a few inches as it raises and the last top panel then has longer arms on the rollers to push it into the door frame.
If your door is leaking around the perimeter (the sides) then get them out to fix it. Spray a hose on the door to figure out where it is leaking so you can tell them.

 

[Sevenhills1952]

Your doors are not supposed to leak from rain. There is a raised "bump" between each door. You can see this as the door goes up between them. This is to keep rain and wind out.
There should also be rubber sweeps along the sides and top of the door. There should be a compressible rubber on the bottom of the door to seal to the floor.
The door also needs to be pretty close to touching or touching the framing when down. The way the tracks work, the door moves back a few inches as it raises and the last top panel then has longer arms on the rollers to push it into the door frame.
If your door is leaking around the perimeter (the sides) then get them out to fix it. Spray a hose on the door to figure out where it is leaking so you can tell them.

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[Copymutt]

That’s bizarre! I could see it happening if the panels were installed upside down, but don’t think that’s even possible.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

A picture would be a huge help. I can’t even imagine a way what you are describing could be possible.

 

[BillK]

I am just going to agree with everyone else. I have 4 doors between my house and business and none of them leak. It was raining sideways a few nights ago and there wasnt a drop of water anywhere. And this includes the one 30 year old worn out wooden door on my detached garage at home.

Something is seriously wrong.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

Happened even after new doors were replaced with new doors? Is it possible that the water is coming in higher up and dripping on or near the doors?

 

[Hot Rod Grampa]

Do the doors have windows? The gaskets around the windows can leak, letting the water into the panel. The bottom of the panel has nowhere to let the water out except on the very edges. You may see the water at the edge but that may not be the source. Second the idea of a garden hose or sprinkler.

 

[RKA]

Post some pictures of the exterior from the roofline down to the doors for starters. I’m thinking it’s impossible for 2 doors from two installers to leak the same way. There must be some other drainage issue with the structure feeding water over the top of the door.

 

[Awesomeblossom]

Thanks everyone for the replies. No windows. No reason they should be leaking. I'm going nuts here trying to figure it out.

Here are two videos. This was a rain from the southwest on North facing door so it wasn't even getting direct rain. Hopefully someone can shed light on the issue. I've emailed these videos to the manufacture as well to see if they will respond.

I'm new so it won't let me post the videos. Maybe you can figure it out by this

add an https:// in front of these if necessary

youtu.be/x5KsDV3rUpI

youtu.be/rzO-6zK5Dms

 

[Captain Spaulding]

Never seen anything like that! Got pictures of the outside?

 

[ard]

Any chance there are doors on opposite sides of the garage?

Usually with doors on one wall, even with driven rain, the air doesn't move THROUGH the garage, so the rain doesn't get pulled in.'

However with a opening of some kind on the opposit wall, it doesn't take much wind pressure to drive rain through....

 

[kbs2244]

Hard to believe, but
I am voting on the install being
upside down/backwards.

 

[PassnThru]

Hard to believe, but
I am voting on the install being
upside down/backwards.

That can easily be determined by looking at the side of the door from the inside.

 

[kbs2244]

I guess I am assuming a plain, non-embossed pattern, door.

 

[Awesomeblossom]

Any chance there are doors on opposite sides of the garage?

Usually with doors on one wall, even with driven rain, the air doesn't move THROUGH the garage, so the rain doesn't get pulled in.'

However with a opening of some kind on the opposit wall, it doesn't take much wind pressure to drive rain through....

Opposite (south) side of room is solid 40' wall with 1 walk through door.

East side of room has 2 garage doors going outside 9' x 8'

West side of room has a 12' x 12' garage door that is inside that goes into the original building (fully covered with no outside access) and one 9' x 8' door that goes to another side room (fully covered no outside access)

 

[myredracer]

Hard to believe, but
I am voting on the install being
upside down/backwards.

This.^^^

Phone the manufacturer of the O/H doors and inquire.

Then phone whoever installed them and tell them they need to be fixed pdq. If the installer is a manufacturer approved person or company, they might be able to help too. If the installer installed the panels the wrong way round, is there anything else wrong, like at the least, loose screws & bolts?

You can hose an O/H door down to clean it and water shouldn't penetrate it...

 

[BillK]

Looking at the video it looks like the door is correct. I am beginning to think this might be a drainage issue from up above ?? I just cant figure out how the water is getting into the gap between the panels.

Really strange

Can you duplicate the problem with a hose ??

 

[BillK]

I've emailed these videos to the manufacture as well to see if they will respond.

Do yourself a big favor and pick up your phone and call them and talk to a real person. Tell them what you have going on and ask them if you can send them the video. I have found that most of the time sending an e-mail is a waste of time Shouldn't be that way but it is the sad reality.

 

[Awesomeblossom]

I haven't tried to duplicate it with a water hose yet.

Installer claims the panels are not on upside down, and looking at the channel on the side, they appear to be the correct direction.

I emailed for an update this morning, and Manufacture Told me they are reviewing my video and they will be in touch. I just don't want them to tell me some lame excuse that doesn't make sense so hopefully an expert on here will know better!

Photos of the outside of the door are attached. They are sealed along edges and top and bottom. I have no clue how the water is getting in except for between the seams. Nowhere else makes sense, and even that doesn't make sense!

 

[Awesomeblossom]

FYI, they have already tried to tell me in the past that I need a roof over my doors to keep water out, but I disagree. Again, I have a west facing 12 x 12 garage door with no overhang and no rain lip cut in it… So exactly like this door only an older model door… And it never leaks rain, even in the pounding pouring tornado seasons

 

[Awesomeblossom]

Do yourself a big favor and pick up your phone and call them and talk to a real person. Tell them what you have going on and ask them if you can send them the video. I have found that most of the time sending an e-mail is a waste of time Shouldn't be that way but it is the sad reality.

I appreciate the response. I did call them and they told me to email the video. Now we're just waiting for them to review it.

 

[James-W]

My overhead door faces the East and most times the wind and rain comes from the West, occasionally from the North. But the wind whips around the house and the wind and rain does hit the garage door, sometimes pretty hard. Even so, not a drop gets thru the door and into the garage. But this door came from a local garage door place and not a big box store, and they installed it too so I know it was done correctly.

 

[Awesomeblossom]

My overhead door faces the East and most times the wind and rain comes from the West, occasionally from the North. But the wind whips around the house and the wind and rain does hit the garage door, sometimes pretty hard. Even so, not a drop gets thru the door and into the garage. But this door came from a local garage door place and not a big box store, and they installed it too so I know it was done correctly.

Yes my first set of doors were big box store and they had huge gaps that not only let in rain, but snow and ice and wind. We had to keep the building shut down all winter, unable to use it, to keep from wasting propane heating the place. 6 months after install, they FINALLY refunded our money in March (after they forced us to try a 2nd set of doors first which were also gapped with problems. Those were over an 18 R value too, but the way the insulation was blown in between the panels, it popped up into the channel and prevented the channels from sealing properly, leaving gaps of daylight.)

So we finally got our $7,000 back and we went with a lower 10-ish r value with a local installer. He has great reviews. He's a super nice man, but he doesn't know why it's doing this. Since this is the 2nd brand doing it, I don't want to be hard on him because I don't think he's done anything wrong. I just don't know what is wrong! So I called the door manufacture instead (not sure if it's allowed to list brand names here), hoping they can tell me something.

And I posted here hoping some other experts could give some valuable insight.

 

[BillK]

I think at this point I would get the hose out and start spraying and see what happens. Its hard to tell for sure by your picture but the door looks pretty well sealed up on the outside. I am betting it is leaking from above. I would have a tall ladder ready for the next rain storm and start watching. Or at least climb up there and see if there is any evidence of water above the door.

 

[firebirdparts]

From your video, it's pretty obvious the water just ran down the side of the building and ran in the door. You can fix that (you must send the water where you want it), but certainly the door can't stop it. You'll have to stop it. A door on a submarine would stop it, but that's not a submarine.

 

[BillK]

From your video, it's pretty obvious the water just ran down the side of the building and ran in the door.

I am not convinced. In his second video at 00:14 it shows the water coming out of the gap between two panels. How did it get in there ????

 

[ard]

Opposite (south) side of room is solid 40' wall with 1 walk through door.

East side of room has 2 garage doors going outside 9' x 8'

West side of room has a 12' x 12' garage door that is inside that goes into the original building (fully covered with no outside access) and one 9' x 8' door that goes to another side room (fully covered no outside access)

Is air moving thru the room druing a storm????????

I have chased water leaks that pass the hose test yet miserably fail during a storm.

It is the air moving that drives the water through.

You can seal the OTHER doors, on the inside, with 3mil plastic. See if that changes the one leaky door.....you would be shocked how much air pressure a steady 10mph wind generates on a building.

 

[Awesomeblossom]

From your video, it's pretty obvious the water just ran down the side of the building and ran in the door. You can fix that (you must send the water where you want it), but certainly the door can't stop it. You'll have to stop it. A door on a submarine would stop it, but that's not a submarine.

I don't understand this theory. If it ran down the siding on the building, how is it getting past the silver siding molding trim at the edge of the door (see pics) that's on all sides, past the seal they placed on the door, into the building, and inside the channels?

As for the airflow theory, I'll run this one by my husband and see what he thinks. Of the 3 new exterior garage doors, only the North door leaked during the first rain since install. The East doors did not leak, but they may not have had any rain getting to that side with the SW storm. We'll see either with a hose test or with the storm we're supposed to get later this week.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Out of curiosity, have you considered ruling out the doors and looking elsewhere ? New build correct ?

Are the doors flashed properly for the ribbed metal siding ? Is it possible the rain is coming in under the siding at the top of the door ?

 

[Awesomeblossom]

Out of curiosity, have you considered ruling out the doors and looking elsewhere ? New build correct ?

Are the doors flashed properly for the ribbed metal siding ? Is it possible the rain is coming in under the siding at the top of the door ?

Flashing!! That's the term I meant to use in the last post. Thank you. Yes there is flashing all the way around the entrance both where the siding meets it on the sides of the door and where the siding sits down at the top of the door. You can see the silver flashing in my photos that I posted.

But yes it is a new build so we haven't ruled out anything yet, but when water is coming in the channels of a door I just don't understand how it can get in there if channels are supposed to be sealed from water.

We will definitely be observing the flashing efficiency as part of our water hose/next big rain inspection test.

And I did ask my husband about the airflow question and he said that is not our problem; however, he did say that even though we don't have near the huge gaps that our last doors had, there are some small gaps between these panels. I don't know if all doors are like that or not.

Hopefully I will have more updates soon!

 

[Slednut]

I made a little drawing, the outside is on the right. It looks like the panels are shaped like the one on the left, when they should be like the one on the right.

The water is running into the gap and then running out the sides.

It's like the panels were somehow bent after they were manufactured.

 

[NZGarage]

I think there is a few problems going on.

1:As stated in post 33, Flashing is required on the out side just above the top of the door to stop water from the wall area above the door running down on to the door panel and on to the door and overloading the draining channels then air pressure driving the water through the door.

With my garage door when it is shut there is no light seeping in around the edges, there is a brush seal mounted on the door frame which the door panels seal against when shut.
I would be interested if yours is light and air tight.

2: How air tight is your garage, I suspect it leaks air like a sieve and the breeze is blowing through and when it is raining the water is coming in with the air.

 

[shelteredV]

Wow, that's crazy. Your installer should be factory authorized, and therefore able to make warranty claims if necessary, so get them back to help figure out what the heck is gong on?

 

[Kieran]

Hi AwesomwBlossom - i've never heard of water leaking through the panels of a garage door. Could you post the video and share a link to it?

 

[RKA]

It’s really hard to tell from the videos and pictures, but it appears water is running down the full height of the door. I would do a hose test on the outside applying water on the siding above the door, but not on the door itself. Have someone on a ladder inside looking at the top of the door and the sides for water intrusion. If you do, your recourse is with the builder not the garage door manufacturer.

I agree with NZGarage, you may have a cross flow issue contributing if the building isn’t tight. Just like opening two windows on opposite sides of the house vs. only one. Suddenly you’ve got a strong current of air flowing through. In a storm with strong winds this could draw water into the building. Again, your recourse is the builder. They may not be able to completely stop the cross flow of air since the big garage doors are leaky (air leaks), but they should be able to design the exterior shell of the structure so water isn’t running down the building and getting pulled in through the door.

 

[TurnipTruck]

Perhaps that J trim is funneling all the rainwater into the wall.
Any pictures from above the top of the door?

 

[KenC]

Thanks everyone for the replies. No windows. No reason they should be leaking. I'm going nuts here trying to figure it out.

Here are two videos. This was a rain from the southwest on North facing door so it wasn't even getting direct rain. Hopefully someone can shed light on the issue. I've emailed these videos to the manufacture as well to see if they will respond.

I'm new so it won't let me post the videos. Maybe you can figure it out by this

add an https:// in front of these if necessary

youtu.be/x5KsDV3rUpI

youtu.be/rzO-6zK5Dms

anybody else not able to see these???

Can the OP post a good link?