How to Keep Leaves From Blowing In????

[Rickochet]

We live in the middle of 28 acres of woods. In the Autumn, the leaves fall heavily and it seems like half of the woods ends up in my garage! I really enjoy keeping the garage doors open to embrace the last of the nice weather, but don't like the constant mess that the leaves produce. Even with the doors closed, once they are cracked open, the leaves are just waiting to blow in!

I am looking for suggestions from you who have experience with this type of issue. I really don't want to screen the door opening as I am frequently in & out. I don't have any problem with the leaves blowing under the door seals, as when the doors are closed, it's weather (& leaf) proof. Have any of you tried any of the thresholds that are advertised? What recommendations do you have???

Thanks in advance!!!!!

 

[rinker1]

Got the same problem. They get under every work bench and in every corner. No way to stop em unless we make a screen about a foot high in front of the door but who wants that? Guess I'll just keep sweeping them out.

 

[bdkruger1]

Yup, same problem here. Drives me nuts! The last 2 homes I've owned have had Garage doors that face west, so there's no winning. I just try to keep the door open as little as possible and vacuum up the ones that get in.

 

[mad57]

All 7 of my door face west and i too HATE the damn leaves i try and mower them up than rack as quick as possible but still pollute the garage when i open the door/doors, thought about hiring the local mexicans to stand out side with broom loosing battle just gonna have to deal .

 

[jay50]

just cut down all the trees; problem solved.

 

[Rickochet]

The doors face south and we are very protected from the wind, but still get a garage full at times. From the sound of it..... Misery just loves company...... Still love the seclusion of the woods. I have found that mo matter what it is, there is always a trade off. Nothing in this world is perfect!

 

[kbs2244]

+ 1 on the leaf blower.
I have an electric one that I sometimes use twice a day.
Nice long cord and an outlet by the door.
Blow out the shop and about 15 t 20 feet of the driveway.
It is the price you pay for living in the woods.
(BTW, it comes in handy for blowing light snow off the driveway and any cars that were left out.)

 

[mball]

Boy, that question sure hit home! Has anyone had luck with the stick down thresholds?

 

[wasabiboys]

Use maybe a barrier fence around the perimeter of the garage?

 

[Tom2]

Have this problem too.. Basically just have to keep the door closed as much as possible. Then brush/blow them out every few times the door opens.
We get a lot of wind around here..Can be very frustrating.

 

[ZRX61]

2x10 across the doorway.

 

[Axe Man]

15 minutes ago I swept a big pile of leaves out of my garage. A fact of life this time of year.

 

[jbs]

2x10 across the doorway.

x2. I plan to have some nice slots to slide one 2x10 into across each of my doors. I believe this is exactly the original design of the "threshold": designed for the doors on each side of the threshing floor in a barn- they let the lighter chaff blow out, while keeping the grain in. Hopefully it will also work for much of the junk that blows in through an open overhead door.

 

[aar0s]

garage door screen.
http://http://www.larsondoors.com/retractable_screens/escape/

 

[electrodude]

^There are several companies that sell industrial rollup screen doors, the good ones have limit switches built into the motor/roller, so all you have is basically a light switch to run it up or down. We used these in a can-plant I worked at, they hold up pretty darn good to industrial use, for home they should last forever...

 

[Cryptic1911]

garage door screen.
http://www.larsondoors.com/retractable_screens/escape/

^ Fixed the link for ya.. had too many http's in there

 

[domoMKIV]

Retractable garage door screen is the answer, imo

 

[trbomax]

All 7 of my door face west and i too HATE the damn leaves i try and mower them up than rack as quick as possible but still pollute the garage when i open the door/doors, thought about hiring the local mexicans to stand out side with broom loosing battle just gonna have to deal .

Ha!! I was told I couldnt say that here!

 

[knucklebusted]

Two words: Positive pressure

It doesn't matter what direction your garage faces. My attached is facing east and my detached is facing west. Leave either or both doors up and both will get leaves blown in.

The problem, as I see it, is there is a calm, low pressure area where a vortex swirls around the garage door, depositing the leaves in and around any area where they will settle out. I've turned on my garage fan and pointed it at the door a few times and it seems to disturb the airflow enough to keep all but the most determined leaves outside.

 

[Torque1st]

^that is the ticket. A more permanent solution would be to set up an attic-vent fan with a motor and switch to run it in reverse to pressurize the garage.

When the door is open for a period of time the screens also work.

 

[fatboy99]

Had a home owner in Fort Wayne 3 or 4 years ago piled the leaves up in there front yard and burned them wind kicked up and blew burning leaves into the open garage! Needless to say the whole house got remodled.

 

[Brad Beam]

You use a wrench to break loose a rusty nut.
You lose your keys

 

[redsky49]

An air curtain (also known as a fly fan) might work for you. Not cheap though.

http://www.marsair.com/

As always, offered only as opinion

 

[Canoe50]

We live in the middle of 28 acres of woods. In the Autumn, the leaves fall heavily and it seems like half of the woods ends up in my garage! I really enjoy keeping the garage doors open to embrace the last of the nice weather, but don't like the constant mess that the leaves produce. Even with the doors closed, once they are cracked open, the leaves are just waiting to blow in!

I am looking for suggestions from you who have experience with this type of issue. I really don't want to screen the door opening as I am frequently in & out. I don't have any problem with the leaves blowing under the door seals, as when the doors are closed, it's weather (& leaf) proof. Have any of you tried any of the thresholds that are advertised? What recommendations do you have???

Thanks in advance!!!!!

How about screening it in & adding another entry door on the side for your frequent in & out trips.

 

[Big Bad Dad]

Two words: Positive pressure

It doesn't matter what direction your garage faces. My attached is facing east and my detached is facing west. Leave either or both doors up and both will get leaves blown in.

The problem, as I see it, is there is a calm, low pressure area where a vortex swirls around the garage door, depositing the leaves in and around any area where they will settle out. I've turned on my garage fan and pointed it at the door a few times and it seems to disturb the airflow enough to keep all but the most determined leaves outside.

Exactly! My garage in the house basement faces west, so the leaves blow straight in. MY detached garage faces east, and I get this same "vortex" effect! It's a "lose lose" situation! LOL

 

[4xdog]

My garage doors face north, and the prevailing westerly winds create a low pressure area right in front of the doors. Ugh. Same problem as everyone -- leaves inside when the doors are open for only a few minutes.

This season I'm trying my Costco floor blower at the back wall of the garage bay I open most, pointed along the floor at the door.

It seems to be helping. The leaf blower effect pushes out any small leaf litter when the door is opened, and the continuous slighly higher pressure against the door means that I don't have the pile of leaves build up against the threshold that I used to have.

Maybe it's my imagination, but so far, so good. The garage/leaf situation is better this year than any other.

 

[rancherbill]

Move to the prairies.

We plant trees here for shade and aesthetic reasons. I wish I had your problem.

 

[Rod N]

My ritual when going out to the garage is 10 minutes of leaf blowing before opening the door. It works great in the garage as well blowing all the dust bunnies out the door. I used to use a broom and did it once a year.

 

[JLockhard]

Easy Solution!!

Just pick up some of that plastic strip netting for eves-troughing
and staple-gun it to the frame of the garage door just outside
the garage door. There is enough give/stretch in the material
to drive over it. No problem.

It might not catch every leaf, but better than nothing, and certainly cheap
and easy to do. Just take 5 mins to install it during fall, and it's easily
removed later in winter when the need is over. Or... just leave it in place,
your choice.

See attached photo of installation, plus tools & materials needed. Easy.

 

[Architorture]

The solution I have developed but not yet deployed is basically like one of those cargo nets you find in a trunk or to replace a tailgate.

Elastic cord at the top and bottom with netting between that is stretched across the opening at a height no higher than the lowest point on the underside of the vehicle so you can drive over it. I figure 12" height will work on my big garage door as I only ever pull a truck in.

My daily driver doors aren't ever open long enough for too many leaves to gain entry.

 

[Arps]

I have the same problem, I just wind up sweeping more often.

 

[solutiontogarageleaves]

Has anyone come up with a foolproof way of keeping leaves outta their garage?

 

[solutiontogarageleaves]

I have found the best solution!

 

[rexer]

My problem is lazy azz neighbors..more than one, which makes it worst..

 

[ImpalaJon]

My solution is to build my new shop with garage doors facing the southeast.

 

[TheModelAGuy]

I wish There was a way, seems like the variety of trees planted are continually dropping something here too. Ai use a 24" floor mop and a leaf blower.

 

[wrench409]

An air curtain (also known as a fly fan) might work for you. Not cheap though.

http://www.marsair.com/

As always, offered only as opinion

I have an air curtain. It's mounted at the back wall and angled towards the door. I also added a fan speed switch. It's nice having air movement from the top, but the leaves still get in.

I keep a battery powered B&D leaf blower in the garage.

 

[Rickochet]

Thanks for all of the responses! I am still battling the fall leaves, but I have come to embrace the fact that we live in a thick woods. We love the trees and they were here before us. I use the leaf blower before opening the doors if I plan to keep them open for a while. My detached “Hawg House” has bigger doors with even more leaves. Oh well, I just thank God for the pleasure of living in the boonies!

 

[Glemon]

When we moved to our new old place with lots of trees we bought a cheap gas blower of off Amazon. Best thing we ever got. Fire it up and a minute or two later all fixed.

 

[MarkG]

Just get one of those 'self-cleaning garages'---they're in the same aisle as the self-cleaning windows and the self-washing cars. :S