A garage door that won’t stop sticking to the seal is a common problem. While it might seem like the best option is to ignore the problem, you would be far better served by figuring out how to solve it and ensuring it doesn’t happen again.
You can stop your garage door from sticking to the seal by replacing seals. An aging or faulty seal is to blame when your garage door starts sticking. Replacing all seals bypasses the hurdles you might have to go through to pinpoint the problem.
Although changing the seals is a permanent solution, you can try several other solutions before doing a relatively expensive replacement.
The rest of this article will detail why exactly your garage door is sticking to the seal and how to solve the problem.
Why Is My Garage Door Sticking to the Seal?
Although annoying, a garage door sticking to its seal is inevitable.
It can occur due to a whole host of reasons, and narrowing down the cause is the first step in solving the problem.
Your garage door is sticking to the seal because of wear. Like many other materials, garage seals are subject to frequent damage. Things like weather, your car frequently passing over it, and sometimes just poor materials all contribute to its rapid degradation.
The wear that comes to your seal usually has a compounding effect.
While it might not be obvious immediately, the seal begins to sustain enough damage that it starts affecting the door with time.
If you have resolved to save a few bucks and fix the garage seal yourself, you should first figure out the main culprit causing damage to the seal.
Once you can pinpoint this, it’s usually just a matter of counteracting the problem and reducing its effect as much as possible.
Possible Causes of a Faulty Garage Door Seal
As previously stated, identifying the underlying cause of the problem is the first step to fixing it.
While there’s a wide range of niche causes I can go into, they can usually be narrowed down into the following:
1. Weather
Weather is one of the main causes of your garage door sticking to its seal.
Although most people usually assume that cold is the only culprit in weather, temperature extremes can cause quite a bit of trouble.
On the one hand, extreme cold can cause the seal to expand and crack, especially when snow in your driveway begins to melt deep beneath the seal.
The melted snow can sometimes refreeze beneath the seal, causing your garage door to become stuck when you try to open it.
On the other hand, extreme heat can also cause problems. While this is less likely than its counterpart, it’s still possible.
This problem usually happens when the garage seal is of poor quality. Heat can cause it to warp and deform, making it stick to the garage door.
There’s usually nothing you can do other than changing the seal when this happens.
In the case of cold weather, the best way to counteract it is to keep your garage door clear of rain and snow.
Doing this will keep anything that can cause the seal to stick far from it.
If the door is already stuck, turning on your garage heating and using some salt to melt the snow should remedy the issue.
However, avoid using brute force to make it unstuck. This can only cause further complications.
2. Old Age
All materials have an expected useful lifespan. This limit is perfectly normal and is accounted for during production. Daily use also takes an inevitable toll on it.
Everyday use wears out your garage door seals as they age. Here’s a few things that affect its lifespan:
- Opening and closing the garage door.
- Driving over the seal.
- Dragging heavy objects over it.
Although unfortunate, it’s expected. One good workaround when wear has had its way with your railings is to use a good lubricant like WD-40 Multi-Use Can from Amazon.com to make your door easier to open. It’s silicone-free, so it won’t damage your seal.
In the event the seal itself is damaged from prolonged use, it’s best to replace it
3. Debris and Grime
Finally, another common reason behind worn-out seals is debris in different door areas.
Sometimes, dust, leaves, and grime can get stuck in the tracks and rails, causing your garage door to stick when you try to open it.
Using a cloth and some water to wipe every area of your garage door down thoroughly can work wonders for how the garage door looks and works.
How To Change Your Garage Door Seal
Changing the seal on your garage door is a relatively painless process. While many people shy away from it because it seems difficult, changing the seal is fairly straightforward.
Here’s how to change your garage door seal:
- Measure the length of your garage door so you have a rough idea of the length of the seal you’ll need to buy. It’s usually better to buy more than you need and cut it down to fit afterward.
- You’ll need to buy a new seal. Rubber is more popular and is usually a cheaper option than silicone. However, silicone is more durable, especially if the temperature drops significantly during winter.
- Once you have your new seal, you can remove the old one from the door. A knife can easily expedite the process here. Note that the seal is probably nailed on if your door doesn’t have a track. If this is the case for you, a strong pull will usually dislodge it, allowing you to pull it free. You might want to remove the nails and seal the holes after this.
- You can put the new seal in place. Patience is key here as you’ll need to slowly drag the seal into place along the track. This process can take a while and is best done with a helping hand. Once you’ve pulled the new seal into place, you’re done.
Conclusion
A faulty garage seal can be an annoying problem, especially when it causes your door to stick.
Not only can it delay you in the mornings when you need to get out of the house quickly, but it can also be quite frustrating when you come back home.
The good thing is that identifying the cause of the problem is easy.
It’s usually caused by wear to your seal due to prolonged use, environmental conditions, or poor maintenance.
Changing the seal is usually the best option and, on the bright side, it’s a very easy procedure.
