A garage door gap is unpleasant to the eyes. If there is a gap in your closed garage door, you need to fix it as soon as you can for many reasons: it affects your curb appeal, which is critical if you are planning to sell your house, poses a major safety and security risks to your home, and can be an entry for pests. This post will help you know how to adjust a garage door gap step-by-step.

How to Adjust a Garage Door Gap - Solutions to Your Garage Door Problems

Garage doors, when working properly, are a great asset to your home. Your garage door is one of the main entrances to your house, so securing the garage should be your priority. Although many people believe that automated garage doors are invincible, there are several reasons why a gap is left on your garage door. Check out below to find out why and learn some great garage door gap solutions.

Adjusting the Limit Switches

Your garage door’s limit switch commands where the door finishes when you close it. It is typically found with the door opener. If there is a problem, a gap will show. To remove the gap, adjust the limit switch so the flexible seal at the bottom of the door is compressed to the ground. This way, you can seal the gap, making it harder for animals and pests to access the inside. Before adjusting the switch, make sure to read the instruction manual first as different door openers have different settings.

Changing the Seal

The gap on your garage door may be due to a problem in the seal itself (e.g. the result of normal wear and tear). You can DIY changing the seal – just buy a new seal and adhere to the instruction manual to ensure proper installation.

Checking the Stops and the Tracks

 The garage door stops are rubber seal running along the door’s edges, thereby creating a seal to keep the door closed and keep the external temperature out of the garage. If gaps are present, check the stops for misalignment. To fix the gap, assess it first and decide whether or not you will need to replace the stops or just move them closer.

 Another thing to inspect is the tracks. The door should be perfectly vertical when closed; otherwise, it will create gaps around the door. The tracks should also hold the door at a regular distance from the stops. If not, fix it by loosening the mounting bolts and moving them a bit to let the door sit closer to the stops. You can do this yourself, but if you do not have the skills, better contact a professional garage door repair technician.

Placing a Threshold

 Another good option to manage a garage door gap is installing a garage door threshold. You can visit your local hardware store to buy one that comes with glue and occasionally a caulking gun. Installing them is easy: just glue the rubber threshold on the garage door to create a permanent bottom barrier. 

Trimming Your Garage Door

 If you are looking for a solution on how to adjust garage door to close tighter, trimming it might be the answer. One problem of garage doors is settling, changing the way a door fits in the frame. Fixing it is simple for wooden garage doors – you can trim it down to fit the frame correctly using a circular saw or jigsaw, and then sand it off the bottom. If, however, your garage door is not wooden, your only option is a replacement.

Adding Concrete to the Floor

 Garage doors are not the only ones that settle over time, even concrete floors do. This will leave a gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. Adding more concrete to the floor to create a level surface will do the job of closing garage door gap on both sides.

Questions

Why is the garage door not closing properly?

The most common reason a garage door fails to close properly is that the safety reversing sensors are blocked or misaligned. The sensors are a safety feature of the door opener, so if it flashes light (e.g. one flash suggests the sensor wire is shorted), it means there is a problem with it.

How do you fix a door that has a gap at the bottom?

To fix a gap at the bottom of the garage door, install a wrap-around door sweep. A wrap-around door sweep has long adjustable sides, moving up and down along the door’s width. Drill pilot holes on the sides and screw it down to install, then fix a door threshold in place.

Just as cleaning your garage door is important, making sure the issues your garage door is giving you need to be addressed. Having a gap on your garage door poses a threat to your safety and security, not to mention it is quite frustrating, especially if you are trying to preserve your home's curb appeal. Inspecting your garage door is beneficial, but if you cannot tell what the problem is, it is best to call in a professional to help you on how to adjust a garage door that is crooked. Hopefully, the tips laid out above can help you work out any gap issue with your garage door.