Why Doesn’t My Garage Door Seal at the Bottom?

by Tony Hall - More by Tony Hall

Have you ever come home and found water sitting inside your garage after a hard rain? You know the door was down when you got home and no one had been home all day. Yet somehow, the water got in any way. You check and make sure the windows were shut and locked. The water heater is not leaking. No vehicle in the garage sprung a leak. The next thing to look at, for that water's mysterious appearance, is your garage door. If your garage door is not sealing properly at the bottom, it may be letting water in.

How can water get in your garage if the door was down?

More than likely, you have water coming in around your garage door. When you get a lot of rain or rain combined with heavy winds, water is going to hit your garage door more than normal. That is when you will start seeing the mystery water showing up. If you are lucky, you will find a path of water from where it entered to where it pooled. That will tell you what you need to look at when troubleshooting. Even if you only find the pool of water without the path, you still need to take a look at the garage door.

What could be causing the garage door to leak?

Take a look at your overhead door. One of the most typical problems is that the garage door is not sealing at the bottom. Everywhere you see a crack or a hole is a potential point of entry for water. Here are a few of the common reasons for leaks to start:

• The bottom door seal is deteriorating or missing. Over time this seal will break down and may allow water to enter.
  
  
• The side seals have begun to fail. You should have seals that extend from the edge of the door frame over the edge of the door. When these fail, water can get in.
  
  
• The floor at the bottom of the door is damaged or uneven. Even if the door seal is good, a flooring problem can allow a gap for water to enter.
  
  
• The door may not be coming down far enough to have a good seal. The door opener controls how far down the door comes. If it is not set properly, you may have a gap for water to enter.
  
  
• The sensor system may not be functioning properly. If the sensors are not allowing the door to close completely, you can get water in.
  
  
• The door may need repaired or replaced. A damaged door may allow water entry.
  

What should you do to stop the water leaking into your garage?

The best solution to stop the water leaking into your garage is to call a professional garage door repair company. You may have an idea of what is wrong, but a professional will be able to fix it and make sure the leak does not happen again. Willow Creek Overhead Door installs, repairs, and replaces overhead and garage doors for commercial and residential clients. As a leading Amarillo garage door company who sells products from reputable manufacturers, yet offers local service, Willow Creek Overhead Door is your best bet at repairing your leaking garage door. Contact Willow Creek Overhead Door today for a free estimate.

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