Question:
We recently had a sectional overhead 2-car garage door installed. The problem
is, the property (on a hill) has settled over the last 40 years, so while the
garage door bottom seals nicely at one end, there is a gap of a half-inch or so
at the other end.
Is anyone aware of a fix for this problem? The garage door installation company
was clueless. We were thinking of taller door-bottom weather stripping that
could be installed on an angle. Does that make sense, or is there a better
solution out there somewhere?
Answer:
Make sure you know which part is crooked. It may be that the door springs
have aged (gotten weaker) and the door is not closing evenly. No doubt
you've checked this already and would have replaced / adjusted the springs
accordingly. The solution I used a few years ago was to cut a 2" x 2" x 10'
board into a wedge shape that corresponds to the gap and attach it to the
bottom of the garage door.
First check to see if the door is level when it is in it's down
position, if not you might be able to correct the problem by balancing
the door spring tension.
If indeed the door is level and you have a gap on one side then
scribing the door would be the solution to your problem.
Bring the door down to the ground and use a level to make sure it's in
a level position, use vise grips to secure it there.
Using a adjustable compass start at the gap with the point on the
ground and the pencil at the edge of the door. Walk the length of the
door dragging the compass along the floor and marking the door as you
go. When you get to the end of the door you will have a mark which is
perfectly even to the ground.
Lift the door to it's full height, secure it there with the vise
grips, remove the tension from the springs and with the help of some
friends bring the door down to a couple of inches from the floor. Undo
the bottom fixtures and remove them as well as any reinforcement strut
that may be on the bottom rail of the section. Swing the bottom
section into the garage and prop it up with a couple of 2 x 4s cut to
fit the distance from the floor to the section while it's tilted in.
Use a circular saw to cut off the material at the mark that you have
made. Swing the section back into the opening, replace the strut and
bottom fixtures, raise the door, reattach the springs, and you're all
set. The door will now be even to the floor.
