2026-04-04 6 min read
Marion gets more rain than most people expect. The town averages around 51 inches of rainfall per year. well above the national average of 38 inches. and winter temperatures regularly drop into the 20s with cold, windy conditions rolling in off Buzzards Bay. If your garage door's weatherstripping is cracked, stiff, or missing, you're not just losing heat. You're letting in water, pests, and the kind of damp cold that damages stored tools, finishes on vehicles, and anything else you keep in the garage.
This isn't a problem unique to Marion, but the town's specific climate makes it more pressing here than in drier, milder parts of the state. And in a town with such a high concentration of older homes. many of them historic properties in the village center along Front Street, with garages that were originally carriage houses. weatherstripping is often the last thing to get updated and the first thing to fail.
Weatherstripping is the collective term for the seals that run along the bottom, sides, and top of your garage door. Its job is to close the gap between the door and the frame or floor when the door is shut. A properly sealed garage door blocks cold air, rain, snowmelt, insects, and rodents from getting inside.
Proper sealing also helps regulate indoor temperatures by preventing air leaks. which matters especially if your garage shares a wall with your home's living space. If you have a room above the garage or an attached home office, a drafty garage door is directly affecting your heating bills. Seals help maintain indoor temperature, which makes insulated garage doors even more effective.
For Marion homeowners who use their garages as workshops. a common setup in this town where people tend to take care of their own boats and equipment. a drafty, wet garage is a genuine problem for tools and stored materials year-round.
The bottom seal is the most common type and the one that wears out fastest. Made of rubber or vinyl, it attaches to the bottom of the door and compresses against the floor when closed to block water, dirt, and cold air. In Marion's wet winters, this is where most of the real-world protection happens.
One specific risk here: during freezing nights, the rubber stripping on your garage door can freeze to the ground or threshold, causing it to rip or tear when the door is opened in the morning. This is especially likely after a freeze-thaw cycle. which Marion sees regularly with temperatures that swing above and below freezing throughout winter.
These seals run along the sides and top of the garage door frame. They prevent cold air, dust, and insects from entering through the edges. They're typically made from foam or rubber and are often overlooked because they're harder to see than the bottom seal. But if you stand inside your closed garage on a windy day and feel a draft at the edges, this is why.
On sectional garage doors. which are the most common style in this region. there's also weatherstripping between each horizontal panel. This V-shaped or flat seal provides extra insulation and blocks air infiltration through the middle of the door itself. Older doors in Marion often have these seals cracked or missing entirely.
A threshold seal mounts to the garage floor itself rather than the door and creates a tighter barrier in conjunction with the bottom seal. It's particularly useful for garages with uneven or settling floors. something that happens in older Marion properties built on varied terrain near the harbor, where slight ground movement over time can leave gaps at the bottom of the door.
Not all weatherstripping holds up equally in cold, coastal conditions. For a climate like Marion's. cold winters, high humidity, salt air. rubber weatherstripping is generally the better choice over vinyl for cold-weather performance. Rubber stays more flexible in freezing temperatures, which matters when your door is cycling open and closed on a January morning.
If you live in a colder interior area, look for a rubber stripping specifically designed to stay flexible at low temperatures. Standard rubber can harden in cold weather, which reduces its effectiveness as a seal. Ask about low-temperature-rated rubber when you're shopping for replacement seals.
For the sides and top, a durable foam or rubber perimeter seal works well. If your door frame has seen significant weathering. common on Marion's older homes. make sure the frame itself is in sound shape before installing new seals; stripping applied over rotted or warped wood won't hold.
Check your weatherstripping at least twice a year. ideally in early spring and before the first hard frost in fall. Here's what to look for:
- You can see daylight under or around the door when it's closed. that gap lets in air, water, and pests - Water trails or dirt lines on the garage floor near the door edges after a rain - The rubber or vinyl looks cracked, brittle, or compressed flat. once it loses its shape, it's no longer sealing - You feel a draft when standing near the closed door on a windy day - The seal has frozen to the floor more than once. repeated freeze-bonding accelerates damage
When you do replace weatherstripping, replace the entire section at once rather than patching a short stretch. A partial patch creates new seam points where water and air will find their way in. Getting the measurements right matters. an ill-fitting seal leaves gaps that defeat the purpose.
If you're handling a simple bottom seal swap yourself, clean the door channel thoroughly before sliding in the new seal. Dirt and debris can prevent the new weatherstripping from sliding into place smoothly. A silicone spray applied to the channel helps the new seal slide in without bunching or tearing.
Before replacing any seal, also check that your door closes evenly across its full width. If the door doesn't make consistent contact with the floor, a new seal won't fix the problem. the alignment issue has to be addressed first. Our FAQ page covers common door alignment questions if you're not sure what you're dealing with.
For the full picture of your door's condition. especially on older Marion homes where multiple components may need attention at once. a professional inspection is worth scheduling. Garage Door Marion can assess your seals, panel condition, and hardware as part of a seasonal checkup. You can also review our full services overview to see what a tune-up includes.
If you want to go deeper on storm readiness for your garage overall, our post on preparing your garage door for storm season covers the bigger picture of protecting your door through New England weather events.
How long does garage door weatherstripping typically last in Marion? Under normal conditions, quality weatherstripping lasts two to three years or more. But Marion's climate. with its wet winters, salt air, and freeze-thaw cycles. tends to accelerate wear, especially on bottom seals. Inspect yours at the start of each winter and replace it if you see cracking, compression, or gaps.
Can I replace garage door weatherstripping myself? A basic bottom seal replacement is a manageable DIY project for most homeowners. You'll need to measure the door width, purchase the correct seal type (check that it fits your door's retainer channel), clean the channel, and slide the new seal in. Side and top perimeter seals are also relatively straightforward. However, if you notice alignment issues or uneven door closure, it's better to have a professional look at the door before replacing the seals.
My garage door bottom seal keeps freezing to the floor in winter. What can I do? This is a common problem in Marion during hard freezes. A few things help: make sure you're not leaving snow or ice buildup under the door, apply a thin layer of silicone spray to the bottom seal before a forecast freeze (avoid petroleum-based products), and consider a threshold seal on the floor to slightly raise the contact point and reduce ice bonding. If the seal is repeatedly tearing from freeze damage, it may be time to upgrade to a low-temperature-rated rubber seal designed to stay flexible in hard freezes.