Your recent repair? 2013 - 2020

[John Galt III]

Found a chipmunk doorway has been chewed into the corner of my garage door! See pics.

The red brick is currently working well to keep them from chewing any more, and also from getting into the garage.

Trying to think of a good way to repair the damage. Am thinking of just cutting out the bottom six inches or so of the vertical trim wood and replacing with new. I don't know if they sell this trim wood with the rubber seal attached or not. Also thinking of buying a new seal for the bottom of the door. Then the plan would be to hope the chipmunks lose interest in that corner when they encounter the new materials in their way, and I can take away the brick. There had already been some wear and tear in that corner which no doubt gave them some edges to chew on to get started. It's a wooden garage door, by the way.

Thoughts, suggestions?

 

[Walt34]

I've seen the bottom rubber garage door seals at the Lowes near here so they're available.

As to the repair, how about cutting a square shape of the nibbled area and using a block of wood the same size, drill 1/4" or 3/8" holes in it and the cut-out area as appropriate to the size of the wood, and then glue in dowels to hold it in place.

Or perhaps use auto body filler? The nibbled area looks small enough for that to work too and it might be easier.

Just some quick thoughts.

 

[Just_Steve]

Side weather seal sold at Home Depot
Frost King E/O 3 in. x 108 in. Top and Sides Vinyl Garage-Door Weather-Strip-GR9 - The Home Depot

 

[sengsational]

Trying to think of a good way to repair the damage.

You know what my answer is going to be: BONDO!

What I've been doing on water damaged windows and doors is hacking on the area with a oscillating tool ($15 at Harbor Freight), and getting down to good solid wood. Then slap on some Bondo. I've done it on door frames, window frames, etc, where it rotted at the bottom. I never take the time to get it perfectly smooth, but it's good enough for who it's for.

 

[ERD50]

Bondo will work, but you've got that weatherstrip as well. See the previous post, they sell those strips at the big box stores. Probably easier to replace the whole thing than patch a small part of it?

-ERD50

 

[samclem]

. There had already been some wear and tear in that corner which no doubt gave them some edges to chew on to get started. It's a wooden garage door, by the way.

Thoughts, suggestions?

The chipmunks did the same thing to my garage door seals at the bottom. My garage door is aluminum, but they made sufficient room to enter just by chewing away the rubber and vinyl seals. I haven't fixed it yet, but I have a plan.
I think if you repair it with the same stuff, they'll be back and you'll have the same problem. I'm going to buy two small pieces of steel step flashing (it's already bent at close to 90 degrees) and screw them to the wall. It's stiff enough that the little beggars can't bend it away to get through, and I don't think they can/will chew through approx 30 gauge steel. It will only go up about 6", but I think that will be enough. I'll either fold the edge back or I'll slit some 1/4" vinyl tubing and glue it on the edge of the steel to prevent any cuts for those averse to wearing real shoes.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Found a chipmunk doorway has been chewed into the corner of my garage door! See pics.

The red brick is currently working well to keep them from chewing any more, and also from getting into the garage.

Trying to think of a good way to repair the damage. Am thinking of just cutting out the bottom six inches or so of the vertical trim wood and replacing with new. I don't know if they sell this trim wood with the rubber seal attached or not. Also thinking of buying a new seal for the bottom of the door. Then the plan would be to hope the chipmunks lose interest in that corner when they encounter the new materials in their way, and I can take away the brick. There had already been some wear and tear in that corner which no doubt gave them some edges to chew on to get started. It's a wooden garage door, by the way.

Thoughts, suggestions?

Love the brick, that would be my repair till i got robbed by a handyman from the yellow pages.

 

[Bamaman]

Chipmunks are a product of The Devil. Whenever I need to find out how to rid my life of any critter or bug, I go to tutorials on BugSpray.com--a retail and online store in Stone Mountain, GA.

I bought a chipmunk trap from them that you bait with walnut paste. If that doesn't get'em, they also sell an electrified chipmunk trap that dispatches them immediately.

Only good chipmunk in my yard is a dead chipmunk.

 

[meierlde]

Where are the foxes when you need them? Where I live I see foxes every so often and I suspect that chipmunks look like a good lunch to them. (Same with Squirrels )

 

[John Galt III]

Love the brick, that would be my repair till i got robbed by a handyman from the yellow pages.

LOL!

 

[dasranger]

 

[John Galt III]

Wow, great ideas! Thanks. I went out and eyeballed it again this morning. I always see something new one day later. Anyway, I'm leaning toward the Bondo idea at this point. I'd make a form out of cardboard behind and under the chewed space, and just gradually build it up (or down, actually). Then maybe find something to use as weatherstripping to glue to the existing weatherstripping and trim, to extend it downward.

Or.... find some angle iron made out of aluminum or thin steel that I can just nail or glue over the corner. Then paint.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

Re Bondo - it is a surfacing material, not structural.
For the quick and dirty job, structure could be provided by driving some 16p nails or a few heavy screws, then filling the inner space with resin soaked fiberglass or possibly steel wool and resin. Now finish with Bondo. Plenty of room for creativity here.

 

[travelover]

Re Bondo - it is a surfacing material, not structural.
For the quick and dirty job, structure could be provided by driving some 16p nails or a few heavy screws, then filling the inner space with resin soaked fiberglass or possibly steel wool and resin. Now finish with Bondo. Plenty of room for creativity here.

There is a version of Bondo that has fibers in it that is a lot stronger than regular Bondo.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

There is a version of Bondo that has fibers in it that is a lot stronger than regular Bondo.

Right, and there are epoxy wood restoration products made for this type of repair, but where is the fun in that?

 

[davismills]

I've been using the sulfur smoke bombs to rid my yard of ground squirrels. It has worked well and it's FUN too.

 

[Koolau]

Relayed elsewhere, I just replaced the battery in my Buick. Only thing interesting in the story is that the battery isn't under the hood. It's under the rear seat cushion. Heh, heh, glad I found out before the battery went 100% fail! Picture the poor guy without a flashlight, in the rain on a country road praying that someone with jumper cables comes along - only to find out "there's NO BATTERY in this thing!"

Only one garage would even do the job (for $185). Something about working inside the cabin instead of under the hood - who knows! Anyway, it was a piece of cake to replace for $102 (Sams battery). Actually much cleaner space to work and very little dead lifting of the battery. Only "trick" was to connect the vent tube to an exit hole in the bottom of the well where the battery sits. From being concerned that it would be a nightmare, I've come away thinking that most cars could benefit from such an arrangement for the battery. YMMV

 

[sengsational]

Yeah, when you said it was under the seat, I thought "what happens to the hydrogen"!!

 

[Just_Steve]

Heh, heh, glad I found out before the battery went 100% fail! Picture the poor guy without a flashlight, in the rain on a country road praying that someone with jumper cables comes along - only to find out "there's NO BATTERY in this thing!"

Every car I have seen with the battery under the rear seat or in the trunk still had a positive stud in the engine compartment just for jump starting.
I'm pretty sure yours has one also.

 

[travelover]

Yeah, when you said it was under the seat, I thought "what happens to the hydrogen"!!

My old Econoline (1966) had the battery inside, but it was in a vented box, similar to that used on RVs. My 1965 VW had the battery under the rear seat, but there were so many rust holes that it was ventilated - that is until I hit a big bump and the battery went through the floor.

 

[aja8888]

Every car I have seen with the battery under the rear seat or in the trunk still had a positive stud in the engine compartment just for jump starting.
I'm pretty sure yours has one also.

My 1971 VW Beetle is not equipped with one.

 

[Just_Steve]

My 1971 VW Beetle is not equipped with one.

I should have said modern car not relic.

 

[aja8888]

I should have said modern car not relic.

It's a good idea, though. I should make the installation of a engine location hot positive battery connection part of my restoration efforts. I would only need to run about a 3' cable and fixed mount.

 

[euro]

Where are the foxes when you need them? Where I live I see foxes every so often and I suspect that chipmunks look like a good lunch to them. (Same with Squirrels )

I live in the city but have several foxes patrol my backyard (5 ac of undeveloped forest right behind me). Still got plenty of squirrels and rabbits though

Lazy foxes

 

[Just_Steve]

It's a good idea, though. I should make the installation of a engine location hot positive battery connection part of my restoration efforts. I would only need to run about a 3' cable and fixed mount.

It would make life easier on occasion.