Winter is when garages suffer most. Driving rain runs under the door, wet leaves pile up inside, cold air pours in along the floor, and mice look for somewhere warm. The good news is that most of it gets in through one place, the gap under the door, and that's the easiest part to fix.
1. Close the gap under the door
Very few garage floors are perfectly level, and most garage doors don't meet the floor evenly along their whole width. Even a few millimetres of gap is enough to let in water, dirt, leaves and draughts, and plenty of room for a mouse.
A threshold seal fixes this by adding a raised strip to the floor that the door closes down onto. XSEAL does it with an 18mm high, 80mm wide profile bonded straight to the floor, and it works with up and over, sectional, roller shutter and side hinged doors.
- Water: the raised threshold holds back rainwater running towards the door.
- Dirt and leaves: debris blown against the door stays outside.
- Rodents: closing the gap removes the easiest way in.
- Draughts: less cold air coming in and less heat escaping, so the garage is more comfortable all year
XSEAL should be fitted between 10°C and 25°C, and the adhesive takes 24 hours to cure before you drive over it. Pick a mild, dry day in autumn and the job is done before the weather turns.
2. Check the seal on the door itself
Many doors have a rubber strip along the bottom edge. Over time it splits, hardens or goes missing. It works best together with a threshold seal, so check it's intact and replace it if it has perished.
3. Seal the sides and top
Look for daylight around the frame when the door is closed. Brush strips or weather seals along the sides and top of the frame stop the draughts that a floor seal can't reach.
4. Don't forget the side door
If your garage has a pedestrian door, give it the same treatment: a draught excluder at the bottom and seals around the frame.
5. Keep mice and rats out
Rodents look for shelter as the weather turns cold. Walk around the garage and look for gaps where pipes and cables come through the walls, and fill them. If you have air bricks, don't block them, because they're there for ventilation. Fit fine mesh covers instead.
6. Keep water moving away
Clear gutters and downpipes near the garage, and make sure drains on the driveway aren't blocked with leaves. Sweep leaves away from the threshold regularly so they can't hold water against the door.
7. Manage damp inside
Sealing out rain is half the job. Condensation can still build up inside a cold garage, especially if you park a wet car in it.
- Keep some ventilation. A sealed garage still needs to breathe.
- A dehumidifier makes a big difference if you use the space as a gym, office or workshop.
- Store things on shelves or in sealed plastic boxes, off the floor.
8. Think about insulation
If you spend time in your garage, insulating the door panels helps keep the heat in. It works best once the gaps are sealed, because there's no point insulating a door with a draught running under it.
If there's a boiler or any gas appliance in your garage, it needs its air supply. Don't block its vents, and if you're unsure, ask a Gas Safe registered engineer before sealing the space.
Your winter garage checklist
- Threshold seal fitted and cured
- Door bottom rubber checked
- Side and top seals in place
- Side door draught-proofed
- Gaps around pipes and cables filled, air bricks meshed
- Gutters, downpipes and drains clear
- Dehumidifier or ventilation sorted
- Stored items off the floor
