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Thread: 1.5" gap on one side of workshop garage door

  1. #1

    1.5" gap on one side of workshop garage door

    Hi,

    The slab in my detached 2 car garage (soon to be woodworking shop was really badly heaved and cracked (no rebar and only 2in thick in spots). A few weeks ago the slab was cut about 6 inches from the sill and broken up, hauled off and repoured by a concrete company. The new slab has #3 rebar, 12" on center, is 5in think and was tied into the old so I shouldn't end up with a floor like before.

    The floor looks great and is pretty level throughout, however when I closed the right garage door I noticed that on the right hand side of the door there is a slight downhill slope. This causes about a 1.5" gap on the bottom right side of the door when the bottom left side is fully touching.

    I've got a couple of ideas, but the one I am leaning towards is to scribe and cut a 2x4 to the contour of the slab there and then attach it to the bottom of the door with lag screws (it's a metal door). Then I can paint the 2x4 strip the same color as the door and add the drip edge back.

    Thoughts/ideas?

    Thanks a lot.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Prairieville, Louisiana
    Posts
    578

    Suggestion . . .

    If you were to post some pictures, we could provide better workable solutions.

    Having dealt with this problem when converting a carport with a sloped slab for a friend. I know it can be a pain.

    I would go with a deep channel made of light weight aluminum. Any one doing vinyl siding has a brake to do this. You may need two pieces. If so rivet them together or attach them with one very short piece of properly sized piece of wood (maybe 6" long) and screws. You also want a similar block on each end. This will keep your extension from being crushed.

    Set it down, carefully lower the door into the channel, stopping about 1" from the bottom on THE SLABS HIGH SIDE. No just go down the length of the door attaching the channel with screws or rivets if you door is an aluminum one. Now simply drill a few small holes, foam fill and you now have a lightweight FACTORY like door extension. You can now add a standard garage door gasket to the bottom.

    You would still want to paint to match.
    Last edited by Steven DeMars; 05-07-2008 at 2:01 PM.
    Support the "CREEK" . . .

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,675
    Johnathan, what you propose seems to be a practical way to solve the problem without spending a lot of time and effort with the door itself. But use something more durable than a softwood 2x4 for the material since it will be effectively in contact with the ground. Use white (not red!) oak or even pressure treated material for this.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #4
    Thanks Steven and Jim for the replies.

    After some more poking around online I found a product which essentially sounds like what Steven is suggesting. It's called a bottom seal retainer. It's a U-shaped channel that fits around the door bottom and comes with the channels to put the gasket on. A little pricier it seems then the pressure treated 2x4 and I don't really have access to any way to make my own U channel.

    Now I am looking to find a local supplier...

    Thanks again!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    1.5 hrs north of San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    842
    Your solution sounds good -- keeps the floor smooth and clear, yet fills the gap. Jim suggested white oak. Cedar or Ipe decking are other relatively inexpensive weather- and insect-resistant alternatives. Avoid pressure-treated wood, as it may be very corrosive to the metal of your garage door and any hardware/lag bolts (even galvanized). You may want to use stainless hardware. The aluminum "U" channel sounds good too, but be descriminating -- I've seen "U"-channel solutions for the same issue at the bottom of screen doors that look cheap and collect water.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    116
    It may be more trouble than you want to endure, but I solved a similar problem by installing a plywood floor on sleepers over the concrete. That allowed me to shim the sleepers level before screwing down the plywood. I used treated 2x4s for the sleepers and 1-1/4" t&g ply for the floor. That thickness of ply was probably overkill, but I want to be able to drive on it if I have to.

  7. #7
    If you hired a contractor to replace that floor, and he left you with a 1 1/2" gap under your door, first I'd check to see if that floor is level, and maybe the door could be adjusted to fit the slab, and if the slab is not level I'd call the contractor and ask him what about it. Maybe the door was installed to accomodate a crappy slab, and you could just take it loose and rehang it. But if the concrete is not level, I'd let the contractor fix it. Jim

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