Replacing the bottom seal on an up-and-over garage door is one of the most straightforward home maintenance tasks. The following guide covers the standard process for a channel-retained bottom seal, which is the most common type fitted to UK up-and-over doors.

What You Need

The replacement bottom seal in the correct profile and length for your door, a flat-head screwdriver or trim removal tool to release the old seal, scissors or a Stanley knife to cut the new seal to length, a tape measure, and a cloth and mild cleaning solution for surface preparation. Optional: rubber conditioner to apply to the new seal after fitting.

Step 1: Open the Door and Locate the Retaining Channel

Open the garage door fully to gain comfortable access to the bottom edge. The bottom seal is typically held in a U-shaped retaining channel that runs the full width of the door panel's lower edge. Some seals are held by a separate aluminium retaining strip secured with screws; others clip or slide into a pressed channel integral to the door panel.

Step 2: Remove the Old Seal

If the seal is screw-fixed, remove the retaining screws along the length of the strip and lift the strip and seal away from the door. If the seal clips or slides into a channel, use a flat screwdriver to gently lever the seal out of the channel, working along from one end to the other. Pull the old seal free and discard it. Remove any old adhesive or residue from the channel with a cloth.

Step 3: Cut the New Seal to Length

Measure the width of the door panel and cut the new seal to this length using scissors or a Stanley knife. Cut squarely across the seal profile for a clean end. If in doubt, cut slightly long and trim to final length after the seal is engaged in the channel.

Step 4: Fit the New Seal

For a channel-retained seal, start at one end and push the fixing strip into the channel, working along to the other end. The fixing strip should seat fully in the channel without forcing. For a screw-fixed seal, position the retaining strip with the seal hanging downward and secure with the provided screws at regular intervals. Do not overtighten screws on steel door panels.

Step 5: Test

Close the door slowly and observe the seal making contact with the floor across its full width. The seal should compress slightly and make consistent contact without the door requiring additional force to close. If gaps are visible at any point, check that the seal is fully seated in the channel.

Summary

Fit a bottom seal by removing the old seal from the retaining channel, cleaning the channel, cutting the new seal to the door width, engaging it in the channel, and testing that it makes consistent contact across the full door width. The job takes 20 to 30 minutes with the correct replacement seal to hand.