6 Great Ideas to Stop Leaves Blowing Into Your Garage

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Can you Stop Leaves Blowing into your Garage?

My favorite weather is fall. There is just a little chill in the air and nature is breathtaking. I am mesmerized as I watch the leaves turning from green to yellow, orange, red and finally brown. There is just one thing I hate. Leaves in the Garage. Don’t you wish there was a way to stop leaves blowing into your garage!

Turns out there are 6 great ways to do just that. (the 6th one is a bit debatable though!)In summary they are:

1. Use Garage Door Screens when the garage door is kept open for long durations
2. Ensure Garage Door Seals are in sound condition. Replace when required.
3. Trim Overhanging Branches to reduce the quantity of leaves falling
4. Clear Leaves from the Driveway often using a broom or better still a leaf blower
5. Garage Trench Drain can be used as a Leaf Trap
6. Use Positive Air Pressure in the garage

So in this post I am going to discuss and explain The Best Ways To Stop Leaves Blowing Into Your Garage. I am sure you will find it most helpful.

Why do Leaves Blow into your Garage?

Actually there are two reasons Leaves Blow into your Garage. 

The first is a no brainer. Wind. Dry leaves will waft into your garage even if there is just a gentle breeze. A stronger gust of wind or a storm will deposit a ton of leaves on your garage floor. You may get some debris like twigs and small branches too!  

The second is that the garage door is the biggest opening in your house and possibly the most used too. In the case of an attached garage, the garage door quite often replaces the main front door as a preferred entryway.

Makes sense. Of course you open the garage door a few times in a day when you take the car out or put it back. But that’s not all. There are so many things you keep in the garage, not just cars.

Need to mow the lawn? The lawn mower is in the garage. Want to go cycling? The bikes are in the garage. Need to cut some plywood? The Table Saw is in the garage. The list goes on!

So the garage door opens several times a day. In good weather, such as fall, it may remain open for long periods too. Why would leaves not blow into your garage?

How do Leaves Blow into your Garage?

There are times when your garage door is partially or fully opened. The door is usually not open for more than a few minutes when you are driving in or out.

But you may choose to keep the door open for longer periods for a variety of reasons. Maybe you just want some fresh air to come into the garage. Maybe you are having a BBQ on the driveway and you are continuously moving in or out of the garage.

These are the times leaves could blow into your garage. In fact if you are not careful, rodents and some very unwelcome reptile could slither in too!

1. How can I Safely Keep my Garage Door Open? (Screens)

If you want to keep your garage door open to let in daylight and fresh air you should be using a garage door screen. That is a sure way to stop leaves from blowing into your garage. Not only that it will also stop flying insects and other pesky pests.

Here are some options for you to consider:

Magnetic Screen

Magnetic Retractable Garage Door Screens are the most affordable option for single or two car garage doors. They are super easy to install and you need no DIY expertise and experience.

Conceptually it is designed like a curtain with screen fabric. It stays there when you want it but can just as easily be removed, when you do not want it.

You and your pets can leave the garage or enter it easily through the middle parting. You can do this even when both your hands are full. The screen’s middle parting closes snugly using magnetic strip on each panel. 

The screen fabric is usually ultra-durable fiberglass. The standard mesh size is 18X16 which is the recommended size for proper ventilation. The holes are small enough to act as barriers for bugs, insects and of course leaves & debris.

Garage Screen Door Double Car 16×7 ‘ Magnetic Closure – Instant Curtain – Pet Resistant – Patio or Porch Hanging Curtains – Heavy Duty Magnets. available at Amazon is pretty good.

Roll Up Screen

Roll Up Retractable Garage Door Screen moves between two vertical side tracks. When open it tucks into a storage cassette or housing above the Garage Door. Leaves, debris, bugs & insects can not enter your garage when the screen is pulled down.

The screen can be operated manually but the motorized version is more popular. It can then be controlled using a remote.

A Foot High Screen

If you are the type of person who loves nature so much that you really want to keep your garage doors wide open and not even have screens. There is still a solution for you. But it may involve a bit of a DIY.

Glue on two strips of one foot Velcro strips to the two sides of the garage door. Cut out a screen mesh one foot high and the length of your garage door. Mount it on a light wooden frame. Just put this in place every time you keep the garage door open.

This makeshift arrangement should stop most if not all of the leaves blowing into your garage. And you can always step over it if you want to go out of the garage. Great idea to keep leaves, rodents and reptiles out while keeping pets and toddlers in.

SPOILER ALERT: It will stop the leaves but not the flying bugs!

2. How to Stop Leaves Blowing in under the Garage Door? (Seals)

It can be really irritating when you come back from a holiday and find that the garage floor is littered with leaves and some debris too. There may even be a lot of dust and some rainwater too.

You are aware that there was a thunder storm in your area, while you were away, but the garage door was closed. How is that even possible?

Well the answer might lie in the degraded state of the various garage door seals. Garage Door Seals are critical to weatherproofing your garage door. They also stop leaves from blowing into your garage. Let me explain.

Garage Door Weather Stripping

To weatherproof your Garage Door you need various types of seals around your Garage Door. These are made of flexible materials such as rubber, PVC or silicone.

All these materials tend to become brittle with time due to exposure to sunlight and changes in temperature. They may also be subject to mechanical damages. The seals to look out for are:

Bottom Seal & Threshold Seal

The Garage Door Bottom Seal and the Threshold work in tandem to keep the bottom of the garage door secure against all types of infiltration. They play a critical role in keeping dust, water, leaves and crawly critters out of the garage.

When the Garage Door closes, the Bottom Seal presses firmly against the Bottom Threshold Seal on the garage floor. Both these seals are made out of synthetic rubber or similar flexible polymer. These materials can become brittle and develop cracks with time and exposure to sunlight.

It is therefore possible that the two seals are not functioning as intended. Leaves could be blowing into your garage, even though the garage door is closed.

You should be checking the bottom seal and the threshold seal every quarter. Check for cracks & tears. Make sure the threshold seal is securely attached to the garage floor. If not, a good adhesive should do the job.

It is a good idea to replace the seals and get new ones, once the existing seals are worn out. I recommend the 2″ high garage door threshold seal from Garadry available at Amazon. The extra height is certainly useful in when you want to stop leaves from blowing into your garage.

Garadry 2″ ‘GARADAM’ Garage Door Threshold Seal Kit (10’3″) | Black/Yellow, Vinyl | Includes Adhesive

It will also provide flood protection to your garage or warehouse during heavy rain or stormy weather.

Other Garage Door Seals

The Garage Door Bottom Seal and the Garage Door Threshold is the point from where leaves are most likely to blow into your garage. Only very small leaves, if at all, can get in through the other seals. These are the seals on the sides of the door, on top of the door and between door panels.

It is worth checking them once a quarter and replacing them if required. At least your garage will not get dust, rain and snow through the cracks in them.

3. How to Reduce Quantity of Leaves Falling? (Trimming)

There's just something about fall colors blended with natural warmth of wood 🍂🪵 How gorgeous do our Overlay garage doors look on this detached garage?!

Learn more: https://t.co/dpH37nlPL6

📸: Ski Door, Inc. pic.twitter.com/Ls9WiKrktB

— C.H.I. Garage Doors (@chiohd) November 16, 2023

Trimming overhanging branches of trees near the garage and along the driveway will reduce the quantity of falling leaves that you have to deal with. You can do this whenever required. However, just before fall is great timing!

It’s advisable to trim the branches back beyond the immediate vicinity of your garage, ensuring that even during heavy winds, leaves are less likely to be carried and deposited around the garage area. Additionally, this practice not only helps in maintaining a cleaner garage

Actually regular trimming and pruning, by experienced landscaping companies, promotes the overall health, longevity and appearance of the trees. At the same time it reduces the quantity of dry leaves falling on the driveway as well as risk of branches breaking during storms.

4. How to Keep Areas Surrounding the Garage Clear of Leaves?

Keeping the areas surrounding the garage clear of leaves, is one of the ways to stop leaves from blowing into the garage. The leaves that accumulate on the surrounding lawn and garden can be raked, while those on the driveway can be swept with a coarse broom. In either case you can use a leaf blower.

Regularly using leaf blowers, brooms or rakes to clear leaves from the driveway and the immediate vicinity of your garage is a proactive approach to prevent leaves from infiltrating your garage space. Moreover, it gives your driveway, lawns and front yard a clean, well maintained look, that is great for curb appeal.

During fall, leaves accumulate quickly, especially in windy conditions. Regular removal, not only stops leaves from blowing into your garage, but also keeps your driveway safe. Wet, dried, decaying leaves can make your driveway slippery.

Decomposing leaves can smother grass and other plants, depriving them of sunlight and essential nutrients. Your lawn and yard will fare better when you clear the leaves promptly. The incidence of mold and pests, that thrive on decaying leaves, will also get reduced.

As a bonus, you can compost the dry leaves and turn it into eco-friendly natural fertilizer.

5. Can a Trench Drain Stop Leaves from Blowing into your Garage?

Do you have a trench drain on the driveway, just before the garage door? Actually some people like to make one, parallel to the garage door. 

Usually it is on the driveway or on the garage concrete apron. It could also be at the meeting point of the apron & the driveway. This way both the apron and the driveway pitch towards the trench drain. Sometimes it is called a Garage Floor Water Diverter.

The purpose of this trench drain is to collect the runoff of rainwater or the snowmelt from the driveway before it enters and floods the garage. The complaint many homeowners have about the trench drain is that it keeps getting clogged with leaves and debris.

However, you can turn this into a blessing in disguise by installing strainers under the trench drain grate. 

The strainers are easy to hang from the trench drain grate and make it very simple to dispose of the collected leaves. A lot easier than cleaning your garage floor littered with dry leaves.

6. Does Creating a Positive Air Pressure in Garage Really Help?

Leaves blow into your garage because the wind outside has a positive pressure and your garage has no pressure. Naturally the outside wind, along with the dry leaves and the debris want to get into your low pressure garage.

Can Garage Fans be Helpful?

Now, in theory, if you were to install garage fans that blow air out of the garage door, they would counteract the natural wind pressure trying to get into the garage along with the leaves. It would all depend on the pressure differential.

It is an option but its effectiveness is quite doubtful in my opinion!

What about Garage Door Air Curtains?

Air Curtains are frequently used in commercial establishments such as hospitals, restaurants, warehouses and certain industries. An air curtain, also known as an air door, is a machine that blows a controlled stream of air across an opening to the other side to create an air seal.

It would do the job of stopping leaves from blowing into your garage. But air curtains are expensive and certainly an overkill for this application. No wonder they are almost never used on residential garage doors.

Thank you very much for reading the post. I do hope you found it informative and useful.