So much for rodent proof garage door bottom seal

Status
Not open for further replies.
Originally Posted by dlundblad
Are you going to return that seal?

Those things aren't cheap.


I bought 2' to try out. But even 2' is expensive at $7.50/foot.
 
You could camp out with a .22
21.gif
 
Originally Posted by Donald
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
You could camp out with a .22
21.gif



My only gun is a flare gun for my boat.


Well then this could be an opportunity to fix that
grin.gif
 
A couple of questions. It looks like you have a big weatherstripping at the bottom. What is the thickness of that weatherstripping? The garage doors I see have very little gap between the bottom of the actual door and the concrete.

What if you take off that weatherstrip, adjust the garage door so it closes further down to lessen that gap and install new weatherstripping on the bottom of the door? Then install some metal trim that encloses that weatherstripping on both sides but with just enough clearance to avoid contact with the concrete.

Finally you need a dedicated effort to get rid of those varmints. I used peanut butter as well as bait but I put it on a chunk of bread roll like French bread.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
A couple of questions. It looks like you have a big weatherstripping at the bottom. What is the thickness of that weatherstripping? The garage doors I see have very little gap between the bottom of the actual door and the concrete.

What if you take off that weatherstrip, adjust the garage door so it closes further down to lessen that gap and install new weatherstripping on the bottom of the door? Then install some metal trim that encloses that weatherstripping on both sides but with just enough clearance to avoid contact with the concrete.

Finally you need a dedicated effort to get rid of those varmints. I used peanut butter as well as bait but I put it on a chunk of bread roll like French bread.


I had a garage door company come out and do general maintenance on the old wooden garage door. They concluded the bottom of the door is level but the garage floor is not. So the center of the door is touching the cement but at the edges it does not touch. So the rodent proof garage bottom door seal handles a gap up to 1 1/2". The bottom seal in the middle is plain and will not cover any gap. But my plan was to have the outside 2' of each side use the rodent proof bottom seal that will cover the gap. Having rodents chew the rodent proof bottom seal was not in my plan.

I heat the garage with electric heat so my dog can sleep in it. So the gaps waste energy.
 
Originally Posted by Donald
Originally Posted by PimTac
A couple of questions. It looks like you have a big weatherstripping at the bottom. What is the thickness of that weatherstripping? The garage doors I see have very little gap between the bottom of the actual door and the concrete.

What if you take off that weatherstrip, adjust the garage door so it closes further down to lessen that gap and install new weatherstripping on the bottom of the door? Then install some metal trim that encloses that weatherstripping on both sides but with just enough clearance to avoid contact with the concrete.

Finally you need a dedicated effort to get rid of those varmints. I used peanut butter as well as bait but I put it on a chunk of bread roll like French bread.


I had a garage door company come out and do general maintenance on the old wooden garage door. They concluded the bottom of the door is level but the garage floor is not. So the center of the door is touching the cement but at the edges it does not touch. So the rodent proof garage bottom door seal handles a gap up to 1 1/2". The bottom seal in the middle is plain and will not cover any gap. But my plan was to have the outside 2' of each side use the rodent proof bottom seal that will cover the gap. Having rodents chew the rodent proof bottom seal was not in my plan.

I heat the garage with electric heat so my dog can sleep in it. So the gaps waste energy.



That does complicate matters a bit. The metal trim in both sides would have to be custom cut to conform to the uneven floor. It sounds like it's crowned. Another option would be to install a threshold that would even up the gap. You would have a bump then and that could be a nuisance when cleaning.
 
Could you find a carpenter who could make long wooden wedges to attach to the bottom of the door to close the gaps? I'd rather go that route than thin the center of the bottom frame rail of the bottom door panel. Another possibility would be to grind the high spot down in the floor if you have enough fall on the outside of the door for water to drain away. Sounds like you have to find a way to fix the root problem, not bandaid it.

Have you tried the ultrasonic repellent things you plug in? My daughter had mice in her garage, got a couple off Amazon and the mice left. Dog might not like it.
 
The carpenter sounds like a great idea, assuming the rats/mice aren't dedicated enough to become wood-boring. Shouldn't be too pricey for that.

That door touching solid-to-solid would be the best cure.
 
The wood idea is a good one. Less gap means less exposed weatherstripping.

On my garage in my previous home there may have been a half a inch gap when the door was closed.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by Donald
Originally Posted by PimTac
A couple of questions. It looks like you have a big weatherstripping at the bottom. What is the thickness of that weatherstripping? The garage doors I see have very little gap between the bottom of the actual door and the concrete.

What if you take off that weatherstrip, adjust the garage door so it closes further down to lessen that gap and install new weatherstripping on the bottom of the door? Then install some metal trim that encloses that weatherstripping on both sides but with just enough clearance to avoid contact with the concrete.

Finally you need a dedicated effort to get rid of those varmints. I used peanut butter as well as bait but I put it on a chunk of bread roll like French bread.


I had a garage door company come out and do general maintenance on the old wooden garage door. They concluded the bottom of the door is level but the garage floor is not. So the center of the door is touching the cement but at the edges it does not touch. So the rodent proof garage bottom door seal handles a gap up to 1 1/2". The bottom seal in the middle is plain and will not cover any gap. But my plan was to have the outside 2' of each side use the rodent proof bottom seal that will cover the gap. Having rodents chew the rodent proof bottom seal was not in my plan.

I heat the garage with electric heat so my dog can sleep in it. So the gaps waste energy.



That does complicate matters a bit. The metal trim in both sides would have to be custom cut to conform to the uneven floor. It sounds like it's crowned. Another option would be to install a threshold that would even up the gap. You would have a bump then and that could be a nuisance when cleaning.



I have considered that. I suspect rodent would chew that also.
 
Is that how they were placed? I think you need to spread them out more. Hide them behind boxes or in corners.

I wonder how much an exterminator would cost ? They do have some interesting baits that work very well.
 
Aggressive suckers!

What about closing the garage door, laying metal strips along the bottom of the door (aluminum stock?) and then using self drilling screws to screw it into place on the door, exactly where is? That way, the strips will be perfectly aligned on the door with the ground, without having to use any rocket science.

This would protect any seal you use. If those rats start eating through aluminum, use a camera to verify you don't have a xenomorph infestation.
 
So I assume it's more than a mouse. So rat or squirrel. Would the rodent be too much for my 9 1/2 lb cat that is about 15 years old. Still active and annoying when hungry. I do not want to get my cat hurt in the battle however.
 
Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
Aggressive suckers!

What about closing the garage door, laying metal strips along the bottom of the door (aluminum stock?) and then using self drilling screws to screw it into place on the door, exactly where is? That way, the strips will be perfectly aligned on the door with the ground, without having to use any rocket science.

This would protect any seal you use. If those rats start eating through aluminum, use a camera to verify you don't have a xenomorph infestation.





This was the direction I was suggesting. If the weatherstrip is on the bottom edge of the door, not extending out and metal strips are installed on each side then you could achieve a solution that prevents drafts from coming under the door and also protects the stripping from these critters.

If the metal strips are painted the same color as the door nobody will notice them.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom