Tube in bottom garage door seal?

[Ty.]

I finally got around to replacing the springs on my 18' insulated garage door, and it's now adjusted to the point where it sits softly on the garage floor instead of the full weight of the door sitting on the ground. Now my problem is that the old bottom seal is crushed flat and no longer makes a nice seal on the concrete. Aside from being flat, there is nothing wrong with the seal, so I was wondering if I could try jamming some 3/4" tube into the seal to get it to be roindish for the rest of this winter and put on a new one on once it warms back up again in the spring. Has anyone tried something similar to this, or am I better off trying to just fight a new one on with the door open in the cold?

Thanks.

 

[Dave Carney]

I'd just put a new one on it, winter or not, that's probably easiest. Soapy water soak and a few feet of PVC pipe (for keeping it straight out on the feed end while you pull the other end) makes it a simple one man job.

 

[rlitman]

PVC isn't a fight when it's warm. So, can you bring the replacement seal inside and straighten it out before installing it. Maybe have someone helping with a hair dryer? And yes, some sort of warm soapy water. Windex works well too.

Yes, it will get cold within seconds of touching the metal door bottom track, but once in the track it should be straight anyway, so the fight should be over. In fact, I'd think that if it "freezes" straight in the track, it might actually be easier to install.

 

[Grimpala]

Maybe a dumb question, but what is the benefit to having the weight of the door suspended at all times by the opener?

 

[spudley]

I've heard of car door seals getting new life by inserting plastic tubing, usually from old oxygen tubes. If you have some laying around, can't hurt to try.

 

[Ty.]

Maybe a dumb question, but what is the benefit to having the weight of the door suspended at all times by the opener?

The opener is not holding it at all, Infact the linkage is slack when it is all the way down. The goal is to let the seal conform to the concrete instead of having the weight of the door squish it flat like it has been doing for the last few years.

 

[rsparks64]

A garage maintenance guy fixed a bad spot in ours by taking a strip of the same materail and rolling it up (like a tube/pipe) and inserting it and that worked pretty well. That is much simpler than replacing the whole thing on a large garage door.

 

[Jinks]

I had some old "MEMORY FOAM" laying around when I replaced my garage door seal. I cut a strip of that, inserted it in the seal, & added the seal to the door. My garage door seals just fine.......

 

[Kirk]

I pulled a piece of 1" backer rod through mine.

 

[driftpin]

I pulled a piece of 1" backer rod through mine.

I used a different diameter but the same technique. I used a Chinese finger trap/woven wire to grab the backer rod Lots of WD-40 sprayed on the rod helped it slip in

 

[NETexas]

Had garage door company out this week to adjust the springs. He said I could insert an old garden hose into the seal to reshape it. Even though it is flat it still seals just fine. ****


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[kaymccampbell]

I shoved a length of foam backer noodle in mine. It restored it to new. Gaps and leaks gone.

 

[unslow1]

I used backer foam rod also. Someone on here suggested it a couple of months ago and it was cheap and worked well.

 

[mobetta]

there are replacement seals available that have a tube built in, just put one on this fall for a neighbor

seems like a good design

 

[Ty.]

there are replacement seals available that have a tube built in, just put one on this fall for a neighbor

seems like a good design

This is what I plan on replacing it with in the spring, I was just looking for something to get by with for the rest of the winter.

 

[mkef]

I use pipe insulation. Or thicker backer rod. Works great for a temp fix or to help seal a low spot

 

[Jeepster04]

Replaced my seal in 2017 with this one and its still nice and full. Seals great. I have my opener set to push down on the door as much as it can without reversing.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074SDQF2Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[619DioFan]

I pulled a piece of 1" backer rod through mine.

I also used foam backer rod as well. works good.

 

[Lorydr]

We also used some cut, trimmed foam pool noodle to fill a spot where the rubber was not in contact with the floor, about 18" of a quarter section, or whatever length/thickness required. Used a tape measure to push it right to the area that it was needed. If the astragal (rubber) needed to be replaced, I leaned my ladder close to the opening so it could help smooth out the rubber right before it went in the track. We always used WD-40 as we pulled it along the track as a lubricant for a smooth pull.

 

[nadogail]

An elastic seal at the bottom of your door will reduce the amount of critters and rain that work their way under the door. As you can see not everyone agrees on what to use for a seal; but I am sure most everybody agrees they are worth paying attention to.

 

[glend123]

I have the same issue, after reading these ideas, I'm going to use the backer rod inside the seal.