Using a garage door weather strip can close the gap between your garage door and your garage floor

If you notice a space underneath your garage door, you can be sure that heat is escaping and insects and debris are finding their way into your garage. By closing the gap between your garage door and your garage floor, you will certainly reduce your heating bills. One of the easiest ways to do this is with a garage door weatherstripping.

Garage door weatherstripping is actually not too difficult, even if you do not consider yourself much of a DIY expert. If you get the use the correct tools and take your time, you should manage it. The steps below will give you a very basic guide to get you started, and you will soon have solved your garage door insulation problem.

Before you begin you will need certain materials: tape measure, hammer, pencil, flat-headed nails, scissors and of course garage weather stripping (this comes in packages of 10 or 30 feet; if you need 20 feet use two 10 foot strips). You can buy weather stripping kits, which should include nails.

First of all, open the garage door enough for you to easily reach its bottom edge.

Next, measure the door width. Your door may already have rubber weather stripping along its edge that you will need to either remove by pulling the nails out with a screwdriver, or cover with the new weather stripping – the latter option gives you the benefit of an extra seal.

Place the nails along the garage’s concrete threshold, taking care to have them evenly spaced. This will make it easier for you to determine where in the weather stripping the nails should be placed.

Next, unpack the weather stripping. It is crucial that you leave it completely intact until you are positive you have finished nailing. Working your way from the left hand side of the garage door to the right, place the stripping along the bottom edge of the garage door (make sure the curved lip of the stripping faces the back of the garage).

Work along the edge, hammering each nail into the bottom of the door. With your scissors cut the weather stripping off where it meets the right side of the garage door.

Check the floor to make certain there is no remaining nails that could cause damage or injury.

Finally, here are a couple of things to note…make sure you purchase a good quality, durable garage door weather seal which will stand up to years of wear and tear. Never stretch the garage door weather strip, as this will decrease its effectiveness.