How to Keep Water From Coming Under Door

With an opening between the inside of your house and the outdoors, there is potential for rainwater getting into the house, potentially damaging your house.

This problem can be prevented with various types of sealing. Of which are not difficult to install or replace.

If the problem is damaged weather stripping. Remove the old sweep or bottom weatherstrip from the bottom of the door. 

Both are types of seals that, among other things, keep water from coming in under your door. Your installation process will depend on the weather stripping you purchase.

A tip to help with this process is that the quality of the weather stripping will always be proportional to the price.

Door sweeps typically screw the inside of your door, so use a screwdriver to remove the sweep. This weather-stripping style can be removed by sliding a screwdriver underneath and prying it. 

To remove a bottom weather strip, you will also need to take the door off of its hinges so that you can easily access the bottom.

If your doorframe has kerfs, use more kerf-in stripping. It simply slides into the kerf along the door frame. 

Kerf-in means a small groove holds the weather stripping, which can be peeled off.

On the other hand, you could use self-adhesive foam weather stripping. It sticks onto the sides plus on top of your door like tape.

Over time both types of sealing may begin to deteriorate. To replace them, ensure you cut them to size. It’s best to use the method of weather stripping that was previously used on your door.

A door sweep attaches with screws at the bottom of the door on the inside. Once you have inserted barbed seals into the kerfs, set them in place by hitting the weather strip firmly with a rubber mallet. 

Ensure to wash your door and doorframe because dirt or grease will make glues and sealants adhere poorly.  The sealant plays a role in keeping out moisture from the bottom of the door.

In case the previous method used was caulking. Remove the caulking from around your entrance door frame with a putty knife. Get as much caulking out of the door frame as possible without damaging your door.

Wipe the door frame with a damp cloth to remove any remaining caulk particles. Then clean the gap where the caulking was with some rubbing alcohol. Wait for it to dry.

You can apply painter’s tape along the doorframe before caulking to help you make a straight line. The paintable caulk is suitable so that you can make it blend in with the color of your doorframe later.

Using kerf-in stripping is applicable if your door frames have kerfs.  They will just latch up into place along with the doorframe.

Otherwise, use self-adhesive foam weather-stripping, which sticks to the sides and top of the door like tape. This weather stripping type has grooves that easily stick when put in place.

In case none of these options suit your needs, there is the option of removing the door.

Here you will be able to screw the weather-stripping in. It is a firmer solution, especially if the weather stripping is made of part steel with rubber inside it.

Removing the door would also be handy if you want to put weather stripping around the door. Or when you put one of those weather strippings with a click activator.

Whereby when the door closes, the rubber falls into place. Therefore, you don’t see the black rubber when the door opens. It only appears when the door closes, and the click is activated.

Always begin by testing out the weather stripping before using screws or glue to put it in place. So that in case it’s too big, you can shorten it accurately and easily.

To test the seal, light a candle or some incense. Then move it around the door from the inside. 

If the smoke moves very suddenly, it can indicate a draft. If there isn’t any draft, you must let it dry for at least 24 hours first.

Having a puddle of water on your garage floor is dangerous. To begin with, anyone could slip and fall.

Secondly, over time the paddle can cause mold, develop old musty smells and eventually damage your garbage floor and walls. 

To put a stop to water coming under your garage door, use an adhesive. Apply threshold hold seal to your clean concrete garage floor.

This will create a ramp that lets the water slide away. Hence preventing it from entering your garage.

Another option would be to replace your garage door bottom seal with a larger one. A larger seal means more insulation. Ensure you mark the back of the door with a marker for reference.

To be sure you buy the right one, you will need to know what kind of channel you have. Usually, it is either single or double.

In case your garage floor has a slope that is sloping in the wrong way.  Meaning the door is facing west, typically getting more wind and rain. You will need to get an adjustable aluminum retainer. 

This item is u-shaped and will fit at the bottom of the garage floor, where it can be adjusted to fit the slope of the floor.

A good installation tip is to have the seal at the bottom and then tucked in at the end. If you cut it too short, it will shrink.

While installing it, always fold it back in itself. Also, check that the side seals go down to the concrete. Such that one doesn’t overlap the other one.

There should be no gaps. This is how you know you have the best seal between the floor and the wall.

While replacing the weather stripping over the top and length of the door frame. Use weather stripping with thicker fins for more insulation.

Remember that you can’t install rubber adhesive when it’s below freezing. Because for it to stick well, it will need warm temperatures.

How would you know if the exterior door is leaking? If the door mat is wet after it rains. Using a hose pipe to spray water, test out where the leak is getting in.

When you find a gap, take off that adhesive sticker. Fix the wedge to the bottom corner of the door. So that the skinny part points out and the fat points towards the stop trim.

If the screw covers are present, use a putty knife. Or a flat head screwdriver to remove them. Then turn the screws clockwise to raise the threshold.

You could also add some more caulking in those areas where you see a gap. It will act like a seal from the trim to the wall.

Other gaps could be filled with a regular piece of plywood. Cut to the size that is required.

Or a diversion from the door using a piece of flashing called the rain diverter. It’s a simple piece of metal that has been bent several times. In addition to coming in a 10-foot length.

In case you have no luck with the solutions stated above. Then the rainwater comes in from elsewhere.

It could be a plumbing issue in your house. Of which you will need a professional to provide a solution.