Is Your Old Garage Door Inviting Mice Inside This Fall?

As the temperatures start dropping around Conifer, Aspen Park, and Colorado’s foothills, you’re probably not the only one thinking about getting inside where it’s warm.

The mice are thinking about it too.

Fall is the time of year when mice and other small rodents begin looking for warmer, protected places to spend the colder months. Unfortunately, an older garage door can provide a surprisingly easy entrance into your garage and potentially the rest of your home.

It Doesn’t Take Much of a Gap

Take a look at the bottom and corners of your garage door when it’s closed. Can you see daylight?

An aging garage door may develop small openings because of:

• Worn or cracked bottom weather seals
• Damaged seals around the sides of the door
• A door that no longer closes evenly
• Bent or damaged panels
• Track or alignment problems
• Gaps caused by an uneven garage floor

A mouse doesn’t need a wide-open garage door to get inside. Small gaps around an aging door can be enough to give rodents access to a warm, sheltered garage. And once they’re inside, garages can be pretty attractive places.

Stored birdseed, grass seed, pet food, cardboard boxes, insulation, and other materials can provide food and nesting opportunities. An attached garage may also give rodents additional opportunities to find their way into the house.

Your Garage Door’s Weather Seal Does More Than Keep Out the Cold

The rubber seal running along the bottom of your garage door is easy to overlook.

Over time, Colorado’s sunshine, cold temperatures, snow, ice, and changing weather can cause that seal to become brittle, cracked, compressed, or torn.

A good seal helps keep out:

• Mice and other pests
• Cold drafts
• Blowing snow
• Rain and moisture
• Dirt, leaves, and debris

If the seal is deteriorating, replacing it can be a relatively simple way to improve the protection around your garage.

Sometimes the Problem Is the Door Itself

If you’re seeing significant gaps even with good weather stripping, the problem may go beyond the seal.

An older garage door can become misaligned or damaged over time. Worn rollers, track issues, damaged panels, or other problems can prevent the door from sitting properly against the floor when closed.

That’s when it’s worth having the entire system inspected.

Depending on its condition, the solution might be an adjustment or repair, or it may finally be time to consider replacing an aging garage door.

Give Your Garage Door the Mouse Test This Fall

Here’s an easy fall garage-door check:

Close the garage door during daylight and turn off the garage lights.

Look carefully around the bottom, sides, and corners. If you can clearly see daylight coming through, there’s a good chance cold air, moisture, and perhaps a few unwanted little Colorado neighbors can find their way through too.

If your garage door isn’t sealing the way it should, 285 Garage Doors can help identify the problem and recommend the right solution.

We provide garage door repair, maintenance, and replacement throughout Conifer, Aspen Park, Bailey, Evergreen, Pine, Morrison, and communities along the Highway 285 corridor.

Call 285 Garage Doors at 720-978-7285 and get that garage buttoned up before the mice start house hunting.