I finally figured out why my garage door kept sticking in the summer

So last July I was at Lowe's buying weatherstripping for the third time, and this old guy in the parking lot saw me struggling with the roll. He said 'bet your door's getting stuck when it's hot out, right?' and I was like yeah how'd you know. Turns out I was using the wrong type of seal for ABQ's heat, the rubber was expanding and catching on the track. Swapped to a silicone one from the hardware aisle for $12 and haven't had a single jam since. Has anyone else dealt with that weird summer expansion thing or was I just being dumb?

3 comments

3 Comments

sam172mo ago

ABQ heat is brutal, I had the same issue with my garage door in Phoenix.

black.joel2mo ago

Man, that's exactly the kind of stuff they don't tell you when you move here! @sam17 nailed it - Phoenix and ABQ both have that dry heat that just destroys regular rubber parts. I've seen guys buy those expensive foam seals and they're basically useless after one summer, they just warp and crack like crazy. It's wild how something as simple as a garage door seal can turn into a whole science project when you're dealing with 100+ degree days for months straight. The silicone route is the way to go for sure, I swapped mine out two years ago after the same headache and it's been smooth ever since.

williamhill1mo ago

Huh, I gotta say I've had the opposite experience with this whole thing. I've been running those cheap rubber seals for about four years now here in ABQ and they're still holding up fine, not a crack in sight. Maybe it depends on how much direct sun your garage gets or if you've got some shade covering the door? I've heard from a couple old timers that @sam17 might be dealing with a specific batch issue, because I've watched my neighbor swap silicone twice in three years while my basic rubber one is still going. Could be the way you install it too, I always leave a little slack so it can expand and contract without binding. Your mileage may vary but don't write off the rubber stuff just yet, sometimes the cheap solution works if you get the right kind.