A poor seal around your garage door can leave a huge amount of space for water, leaves, rodents, and air to get in, creating a mess and effecting the temperature of your entire house. If you have big gaps in the corners of your garage door, or air rushing in around the sides, you can probably make a pretty major improvement at relatively low cost if you are willing to do it yourself.
Garage door perimeter seal is relatively straightforward to install. Just cut it to size and nail in place, making sure that it isn’t fit so tight against the door that it causes binding. Always test the door manually before using an automatic opener after making any changes to your garage door system or the seal around it. You want to ensure that it still operates free and smooth before re-attaching to the opener.
A new bottom rubber where your door contacts the floor can make a huge difference. If you have a steel door, you should definitely pull the old one out before ordering your replacement so that you can easily see what style your door accepts . The biggest consideration is the size and shape of the edges of the rubber strip that slide into the metal “retainer” that is attached to the bottom of the door, as there are a few common types (“T” shapes are most common, but there are a couple sizes in use, and some seals have a rounded “tear drop” or “bead” shape).
If you have big gaps in the corners of your door, installing a threshold on the floor of your garage can work as well as a new bottom rubber, especially if you have a situation where water is always getting in or big corner gaps. M-D Building Products and Sensible Solutions both make an effective garage door threshold that is simple to install. Another option, while a little more expensive, is the A.O.D. Roll – and Go. It is basically the same thing as the others, except it comes with the adhesive pre-applied so you don’t have to mess around with a tube of glue.
Bottom seal for wood garage doors is basically a rubber strip and is basically universal. Just take off the old one, pull out or flatten any old staples or nails, then attach the new one. A new seal usually comes with nails, but you can use staples if you find it easier, just be sure to use a lot.
Has your wood garage door sagged in the center, leaving big gaps in the corners? If it has, there may be a solution. A universal garage door seal and retainer kit can usually be installed on the front of the door in a way that allows you to take up the gap. If used along with a threshold on the floor, this method allows for maximum gap filling. I recommend using a plastic retainer instead of aluminum as they are much easier to cut, drill, and bend if needed, and don’t tarnish.