If you can see daylight under your garage door, so can the dust, the bugs, and the afternoon heat. Worn weather seals are one of the simplest garage door fixes, and in St. George they wear out faster than most people expect.
Call 435-773-8856 for a free estimate on seals or an insulated door.
Signs your seals are done
- Daylight along the bottom, sides, or top of the closed door
- Red dust or sand drifting in under the door after wind
- Bugs, spiders, or scorpions getting into the garage
- The bottom rubber is cracked, flattened, torn, or missing in spots
- Water or mud getting in during monsoon storms
- The garage is a lot hotter than it should be
Bottom seal
The rubber strip along the bottom of the door takes the most abuse. It presses against hot concrete every time the door closes, bakes in the sun when the door is open, and drags through grit. After a few summers it goes hard, cracks, and stops sealing.
Most steel doors have a retainer channel on the bottom edge that holds a replaceable seal. We pull the old seal, clean the channel, and slide in a new one sized to your door. If the retainer itself is rusted or bent, we replace that too. Some older doors use a nailed-on seal or a different style, and we match what the door needs.
Side and top seals
The vinyl or rubber trim along the sides and top of the door frame seals against the face of the door. The sun hits it hard. When it cracks, shrinks, or pulls away from the frame, gaps open at the corners. New perimeter seal closes those gaps and cleans up how the door looks from the street.
Threshold seals
If the garage floor is uneven or the driveway slopes toward the door, a bottom seal alone may not close the gap. A threshold seal mounts to the floor under the door and gives the bottom seal something to press against. It helps with water and dust on low driveways.
Getting the door to close right
A new seal only works if the door closes evenly. If the door stops short, closes crooked, or slams, a seal will not fix it. We set the opener close limit and force so the door seals without crushing the rubber, and we check that the door is level and balanced. A door that will not close evenly may have a cable or spring problem. See cable repair and broken spring repair.
Insulated garage doors
A thin single-layer steel door on a west-facing wall soaks up heat all afternoon. An insulated door has a layer of foam between steel skins, and in St. George that makes a real difference:
- Cooler garage. Helpful if the garage is a gym, a workshop, a freezer spot, or sits under a bedroom.
- Quieter. Insulated doors are stiffer and rattle less.
- Tougher. Double-skin doors resist dents better than thin single-layer panels.
- Tighter. Many come with a better bottom seal and tighter joints between sections.
Insulated doors are heavier, so the springs have to be matched to the new weight and the opener has to handle it. We check both. Insulation kits added to an existing door can help some, but they add weight and the springs may need adjusting. We will tell you honestly whether a kit or a new door makes more sense. See new door installation and the repair or replace guide.
Some neighborhoods control door style and color. If you have an HOA, mention it on the call.
What a seal visit includes
- Close the door and check for gaps on all four sides
- Check the bottom retainer, the perimeter seal, and the floor
- Quote the work before we start
- Replace the bottom seal or perimeter seal, or add a threshold, as needed
- Adjust the opener close limit and force so the door seals evenly
- Look over rollers, springs, and cables and tell you if anything is close to failing
We do not post prices. What changes the quote: door width, seal type, retainer condition, and whether a threshold is needed. How we quote: service fees.
Why seals wear fast here
Sun, heat, and dust are the big three. A door facing the afternoon sun can cook a bottom seal in a few summers. Wind pushes fine sand into every gap. Late summer storms bring runoff and mud to the door line. More in the desert heat and dust guide. Seals are one of eight common heat and dust problems here, see the full list with a fix for each.
Call 435-773-8856 from St. George, Washington, Ivins, Santa Clara, Hurricane, or anywhere in our service areas.
FAQ
How do I know if my garage door bottom seal needs replacing?
Close the door and look for daylight along the bottom. If you see light, dust drifting in, or rubber that is cracked or flat, it is time.
Can you replace just the bottom seal?
Yes, on most doors. If the retainer channel is rusted or bent, we replace that too.
Will a new seal keep scorpions out?
A good seal closes the gaps they use, which helps a lot. It is not a guarantee against every pest, but it is one of the best simple steps.
Is an insulated garage door worth it in St. George?
For a garage that faces the afternoon sun or gets used as living or work space, it usually makes a noticeable difference in heat and noise.
Do insulated doors need different springs?
Yes. They are heavier, so the springs must be matched to the door weight, and the opener has to handle it.
What happens when you call
- Call 435-773-8856 or text 435-773-8856. Tell us your city or neighborhood.
- Describe what the door is doing. Up, down, or stuck partway. A bang, a loose cable, a dead remote. If a car is stuck inside or the house is open, say so.
- Get a free estimate and a time. We tell you what it sounds like, how the job is quoted, and the soonest a technician can come. If that is not today, we say so.
Call or text for a free estimate
Tap to call or text and tell us what the door is doing.