The bottom seal on my garage door isn't sealing. Who do I call?
Usually, start with
Garage-door professional
If the garage-door bottom seal is damaged, compressed, missing, or no longer making consistent contact, a garage-door professional commonly evaluates the seal, retainer, door alignment, and closing position.
Change course if
The seal is new but still cannot contact the floor evenly
Concrete repair or leveling expertise may also be relevant when the floor or threshold is uneven.
The door itself sits crooked or does not close evenly
A garage-door professional can evaluate the broader door system rather than the seal alone.
Water pools against the door even when the seal appears intact
Drainage expertise may also be relevant when exterior water is being delivered to the opening.
Who handles what
Garage door
Evaluates bottom seals, retainers, alignment, and the way the door closes against the floor.
Concrete repair / leveling
Evaluates an uneven floor or threshold that prevents the seal from making consistent contact.
Drainage
Evaluates runoff or pooling at the garage opening when water is part of the complaint.
What might be happening
A bottom seal can fail because the seal material has deteriorated, the door is not closing evenly, the retainer is damaged, or the surface beneath the door is irregular. More than one condition can be present.
Useful things to notice
Condition of the seal material
Cracks, flattening, missing sections, or separation from the retainer are useful to photograph.
Whether the gap changes across the width
Uneven contact can point to alignment or floor-surface differences.
Whether the door closes squarely
A visibly tilted or uneven door can be useful information for the garage-door professional.
Before you call
Take photos of the seal from inside with the door closed, the bottom edge of the door, the floor or threshold, and any area where daylight or water is visible.
Before you fix the visible symptom
Replacing the seal alone may not correct an uneven door or floor. If a relatively new seal still leaves a gap, evaluating the contact surfaces first can help identify why.
References
Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association. Technical Data Sheets: Commercial & Residential Garage Door, including TDS 167 and TDS 197.
Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association. Technical Data Sheet 1503, Wind-Driven Rain and Sectional Garage Doors: Reasonable Expectations.
Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association. ANSI/DASMA 102-2018, Specifications for Sectional Overhead-Type Doors.