How to Seal and Weatherproof a Garage Door

If your garage feels drafty, damp, or suspiciously welcoming to critters, you are not imagining it. The garage is one of the most common entry points for outside air, moisture, and rodents. Learning how to seal a garage door properly does more than make the space more comfortable. It protects your home, improves energy efficiency, and helps keep pests where they belong. Outside.

Many homeowners think weatherproofing is just about blocking cold air or rain. That is part of it, but there is another important piece that often gets overlooked. Rodent exclusion. A lot of common weatherstripping materials were never designed to stand up to chewing teeth, shifting structures, or long-term wear. That’s where durable physical exclusion really matters.

This guide walks through how to seal and weatherproof a garage door the right way, what materials actually last, and how solutions from Xcluder® help solve problems that basic weatherstripping cannot. You can explore Xcluder’s residential options today.

Why Sealing Garage Door Gaps Matters

Sealing garage door gaps is not just about comfort. Even small openings can let in a surprising amount of trouble. Air leaks cause drafts and energy loss. Moisture sneaks in and leads to condensation, mold, or rust. Leaves and dust and debris can quickly pile up. Unsealed garage doors also contribute to heat loss during the winter since garages are often connected to the rest of the house.

Then there’s the pest issue. Mice can squeeze through openings the size of a dime. Rats just need a hole the size of a quarter. Once they find a gap, especially one that leads to food or shelter, they’ll quickly set up a new home. Rodents are social and live in groups, so when one finds a path to food and shelter, it leaves a pheromone trail that draws others in. The only way to stop that cycle is to seal the entry point. A proper rodent-proof garage door seal can help solve all these issues at once.

What Does It Mean to Weatherproof a Garage Door?

To weatherproof a garage door means sealing it so outside air, water, dust, and debris cannot easily get inside. This usually involves weather stripping, bottom seals, and side or top seals.

But here’s the catch. Weatherproof does not mean rodent-roof.

Many traditional weatherproofing products are made from foam, vinyl, or soft rubber. They can compress and crack over time, and once again you have a gap that lets the weather in. They are also easily chewed. That means an easy entry point for rodents.

Common Garage Door Gaps You Need to Seal

Over time, garage doors naturally develop gaps. Homes settle, doors move, and weather seals wear out. Gaps can form along the bottom or sides of the door, so inspecting and sealing the entire door is key to keeping air, water, and pests out.

Bottom of the Garage Door

The bottom is the most common failure point. Concrete slabs are rarely perfectly level, so the door may touch in some spots and lift in others. This creates uneven gaps that let in water, cold air, and pests.

Rodents especially prefer ground level access because it feels safer to them. If there is daylight coming in under your door, there is opportunity.

The Xcluder Rodent Proof Door Seal features heavy duty rubber outer layer lined with Xcluder fill fabric to provide dependable protection against rodents and the elements. The brush seal faces the inside of the door and conforms to textured or uneven surfaces eliminating tiny gaps and blocking light and insects. View our available garage door seals for more options.

Sides of the Garage Door

The sides are often ignored, but they are high risk areas. Rodents often follow airflow, so if you feel a draft along the side or top, pests can find it too.

Many of these holes are caused rodents chewing and gnawing through the vertical weather stripping on the sides of garage doors. Typically these seals are made of a medium-weight rubber and are no match for a gnawing rodent. 

Xcluder® Garage Door Rodent Shields are made from a sheet of high-quality stainless steel and are easily applied to the base of the rubber weather strip. Simply peel the protective backing off the weatherproof adhesive strip and stick it in place. The stainless steel provides an impenetrable barrier for any pest, and the rodent shield adheres to the inside of the garage, so it is not visible from the outside.

You can find these rodent shields at Xcluder. They come in packs of 2, 12 and 25.

How to Seal Around a Garage Door

Before installing anything, inspection matters. Look closely at all edges of the door. Measure gaps at multiple points because they are rarely consistent. Pay special attention to corners, joints, and areas where light or air is detected.

If you want help identifying possible rodent entry points, a simple inspection tool can make the job easier.

Different gap sizes need different solutions. One size fits all rarely works when it comes to sealing a garage door properly.

Choosing the Right Garage Door Gap Filler

There are several common types of garage door gap filler and weather stripping for garage doors.

Foam is easy to install but compresses quickly and offers no rodent resistance.

Vinyl and rubber last a bit longer but can crack, shrink, and also is easily chewed.

Brush seals help with uneven gaps and airflow control, but again, offer no protection against rodents.

For long term durability, proven rodent-proof materials are a smarter choice. Products that combine sealing with chew resistant reinforcement.

You can learn more about weatherproofing versus pest exclusion in our guide.

For gaps, cracks or holes found in the ceiling, walls, or floor of your garage, rodent-proof fill fabric is another great option.

Common Mistakes When Weatherproofing a Garage Door

Not all sealing materials perform the same. Some commonly used options, including foam and soft rubber, can be easily chewed through by rodents, letting both pests AND the weather in.

Another common issue is ignoring vertical gaps and corners. Many people focus only on the bottom seal and miss the sides entirely.

Choosing the wrong seal size or installing the seal incorrectly can also cause problems. Always be sure to measure carefully and follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions.

How to Maintain Your Garage Door Seals

Even the best materials benefit from regular checks. Inspect seals seasonally, especially before winter and after heavy storms.

Look for signs of compression, cracking, pulling away from the frame, or chew marks. If a seal has lost its shape or integrity, replacement is usually better than patching. Temporary fixes often fail when conditions change.

Seal and Weatherproof Your Garage Door with Xcluder

Effective garage door weatherproofing depends on using materials that are built to last. Standard weather stripping can compress, wear out, or fail long before homeowners expect it to.

Xcluder products are designed to keep both rodents and the elements out. By focusing on physical exclusion and durable construction, they help homeowners, property managers, and pest professionals create garage door seals that actually stay sealed.

When you combine proper inspection, correct sizing, and proven pest-proof materials, sealing and weatherproofing your garage door becomes a long-term solution instead of a repeating chore.