How To Fill Gaps Above The Garage Door [Quickly and Easily]

The garage is important in offering protection, not just to our vehicles but to the house as well and the people inside it. Nonetheless, this can be a hassle when there are gaps above the garage door. If you have no idea how to fix those gaps, no need to worry! We have scoured the net for the best solution to this problem.

There are three ways to fill the gaps above the garage door: 

  1. Check the weather stripping to see if it is working and replace it if necessary.
  2. Inspect the garage floor for cracks or bumps.
  3. Adjust the settings of the garage door opener. 

We will elaborate on the steps in the section below. Continue reading as this is important so you can be more protected inside and prevent costly damage in your garage. 

Hand use remote controller for closing and opening garage door, How To Fill Gaps Above The Garage Door [Quickly and Easily]

Quick And Easy Ways To Fill the Gaps Above The Garage Door

The garage door should be closely sealed above, below, and on the sides to keep water, moisture, and pests from entering. It is important to fill the space above or around the garage door. Here are three steps to do so:

1.  Check The Weather Stripping If It Is Working And Replace It If Necessary

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Construction worker with trainee installing window in house

Garage doors usually have a U-shaped weatherstrip, which works for most flooring materials. Look closely at the weatherstripping to check for the extent of gaps above the garage door.

Seeing signs of cracking or breaking apart only means you have to replace it, especially before the weather gets really cold or before the rainy weather begins.  

How To Replace The Weather Stripping 

One of the most common reasons why there are gaps above the garage door is that the weather stripping needs to be replaced. You can do the replacement job yourself.

These simple and easy steps can fill the gaps above and around the garage door:  

  1. Carefully remove the existing weather stripping using a hammer and pry bar. 
  2. Remove all the nails and screws from around the door frame.
  3. Remove all residual debris to see if there are damages in the door frame.
  4. Measure the perimeter of the garage door using a tape measure.
  5. Cut strips of vinyl according to the shape and measurement of the garage door.
  6. Install new weather stripping at the top section of the garage door. Make sure the nails are spaced some 8 to 18 inches apart.
  7. Install new weather stripping at the sides of the garage door. Make sure the pieces overlap with the top section to ensure a closed seal.
  8. Cut off the excess pieces of vinyl strips to make sure the sizes are exact with the garage door's measurement.
  9. Apply caulk to seal the joints and make sure there are no spaces in between the weather stripping.

Click here to see this caulk on Amazon.  

Click here to see this weatherstripping for garage door top on Amazon.

For a visual guide on how to replace the weather stripping on your garage door, you can watch this video:

If you have checked and replaced the weather stripping, and there are still gaps above the garage door, then it is time to check if there are cracks in the garage floor. 

2.  Inspect The Garage Floor For Cracks Or Bumps

Crack on the floor in the garage

Do you see any cracks or bumps on your garage floor? They can prevent the weather stripping from sitting evenly on the floor, which makes it difficult to completely seal the garage door. 

Cracks or bumps in the floor can create gaps or spaces around the garage door, but fortunately, a U-shaped weather stripping works just as well on uneven surfaces. It works even if the garage floor is uneven or has cracks.

3.  Adjust The Setting Of The Garage Door Opener  

If you have fixed the weather stripping and the garage floor, and still there are gaps above the garage door, then you can check and fix the garage door opener. The opener has two knobs controlling how far the garage door opens or closes.   

Click here to see a garage door opener on Amazon.

Opening door and automatic garage door opener electric engine gear mounted on ceiling with emergency cord

Switches are used in opening and closing the garage door. You can easily adjust the settings so that the garage door will close firmly, leaving no space or gaps above the garage door. This is essential in keeping the garage dry, warm, and free of pests.

To adjust the garage door opener, you have to adjust the screws, and by turning it clockwise, you increase its strength to make sure it closes firmly. Just check on the manual to ensure the garage door works efficiently.  

There should be no gaps at the top, bottom, or sides of the garage door, which is important both for privacy and protection.   

Make sure the garage door opener is working properly, with no chain tension or vibration. If it's otherwise, try adjusting the chain sag on the slack side. The chain should not be too loose or too tight but just enough not to cause chain vibration. 

To discover more on how to fix the garage door opener, try watching this video:  

For more insight, you might want to read these related articles: 

How To Fill the Gap Between Garage Door And Floor 

Gap Between Door And Frame - What To Do?

Causes Of Cracks On The Garage Floor

Cracks on the floor might lead to more complicated issues. They can prevent the garage door from being sealed completely to cover all the spaces around it.

The most possible causes of cracks in the garage floor include the following: 

  • Concrete surfaces that are normally shrinking during the curing process
  • The soil below the garage floor that is moving or sinking over the years
  • The heavy weight of the vehicles on the garage floor 
  • Poor installation of the concrete
  • Poor drainage below and around the garage floors

If you find that there are cracks on the garage floor, then you might as well fix them because cracks and bumps can prevent the garage door from closing firmly.

How To Fix Cracks On The Garage Floor

Cracks on the garage floor

To get rid of cracks in the garage floor, you can try out these techniques:

1.  Start with cleaning out the area where there are cracks.

2.  Take away small stones or loose pebbles from the cracks.

3.  Use a wet/dry vacuum to remove all debris, dirt, stones, etc. from the cracks. 

 Click here to see this portable wet/dry vacuum on Amazon.

4.   Fill in the cracks using self-mixing filler. You can use epoxy or polymerized concrete mix to fill in the cracks.  

Click here to see this epoxy on Amazon.

5.  For longer cracks, you can use a crack chaser to make the crack more uniform when filling it out.  

Click here to see this crack chaser on Amazon.

Final Words

Hand use remote controller for closing and opening garage door

To wrap it all up, there are three steps you can apply to fill the gaps above or around the garage door. You can start by fixing the weather stripping, inspecting the garage floor, and adjusting the settings of the garage door opener.

Now you know you can DIY when you need to fill gaps above the garage door.  

Most often, there is no need to replace the garage door. All it takes is patience and a bit of information on how to fill the gaps to ensure you are kept safe and sound even in your garage.

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