Gap on one side of garage door

June 9, 2022 Posted in: Garage Doors

Even the smallest garage door gap is an invitation for unwanted moisture, debris and pests, including mice, rats and insects. Or, in more severe circumstances, visible gaps in the door could involuntarily invite burglars to try to invade your home. Call on Oregon City Garage Door’s trusted technicians when you need to troubleshoot the issue and repair a garage door gap.

• What Is a Garage Door Gap?
• How to Check for Garage Door Gaps 
• How Do I Seal the Edges on my Garage Door?
  • Check the Stops
  • Check the Tracks
  • Adjust the Limit Switches
  • Replace the Weatherstripping Seal
• Contact Oregon City Garage Doors Today!

What Is a Garage Door Gap?

A garage door gap is an unwanted space along the sides, top or bottom of your garage door. Rain, wind and pests can enter these gaps and wreak havoc on your garage, home or business, including its foundation. If you work from your garage, a gap can also affect your shop’s insulation and dramatically increase your energy bills. 

How to Check for Garage Door Gaps 

Sometimes, garage door gaps are visibly noticeable. Other times, you may need to search for them. To do so, turn out the lights in your garage and scan for cracks of sunlight. You can also run your hand along the edges of your garage door to feel for drafts. 

How Do I Seal the Edges on my Garage Door?

Learn about the many different garage door gap solutions from our repair experts at Oregon City Garage Door.

Check the Stops

Stops are the rubber trimmings that run the length of your garage door. If the gap in your garage doors runs along the top, sides or bottom edges, your stops may be the culprit. You may need to adjust or replace them. You can also fill small cracks in your stops with caulk. 

Check the Tracks

If your garage door tracks are bent, misaligned or aren’t vertical, your garage door may sag, causing gaps along the edges of your door. We recommend hiring an experienced technician to safely re-align your tracks if they aren’t parallel. 

Adjust the Limit Switches

For gaps located beneath the weatherstripping, try adjusting the limit switches on your opener. After reading the instruction manual for your unique opener, adjust the downward travel limit switch slightly so your garage door closes flush to the garage floor. 

Replace the Weatherstripping Seal

For gaps along the bottom of your garage door, the problem may stem from worn-out or chewed weatherstripping. You can find weatherstripping kits at your local hardware store. Measure the trimming twice to ensure it fits the length of your garage door, then cut it to size and install it following the instruction manual.

Contact Oregon City Garage Doors Today!

Still not sure what’s causing your garage door gap? Hire a professional to find the cause and seal your garage door gap. Our expert technicians will pinpoint the direct cause of the gap, saving you time and money in the long run. Plus, hiring a professional will keep you and your loved ones safe. 

Contact our specialists today to request an estimate! 

That situation is undesirable not only because of the gap under the door, but also because of the way water will run. Garage floors get wet when they're washed down or when a car is brought in covered in rain, snow, ice, etc. A garage floor should be level side to side and sloped toward the overhead doorway so that water naturally drains to the outdoors.

Is this slab-on-grade construction, or do you truly have a foundation separate from the floor? In the latter case the floor often floats inside the foundation. If it's not doweled into the foundation then you may be able to mudjack the slab only and leave the foundation alone. Talk with a concrete lifting contractor to find out what they're comfortable doing and what outcome they expect.

Adding more concrete to bring up the surface is tricky. Ordinarily one wants aggregate (rocks, gravel, sand) mixed into the concrete to make it stronger -- but you can't get a coarse or even medium aggregate mix to taper down to nothing. You'd probably want some kind of polymer modified self-leveling overlay product for this.

As a last resort: you already have a saw-cut joint in the middle. Cut all the way through and fully replace the concrete on the low side of the room. Depending on the price of the other options this might not be such a bad choice.

How do I fix the side gap on my garage door?

Why does my garage door have a gap?