Case Study - GaraDry Supporting Industry Leaders

Fire stations and loading bays operate in demanding environments where vehicle bays are in constant use and doors must remain fully functional at all times. Large fire apparatus, frequent callouts, and exposed thresholds make it difficult to prevent water entering the building during periods of heavy rain.

In many case this results in water ingress that cannot be resolved with standard door seals or temporary fixes.

When water is able to pass beneath bay doors, it can quickly lead to pooling on internal floors, increased cleaning requirements, and avoidable slip risks. For stations that need to remain operational around the clock, this becomes a persistent issue rather than a one-off problem.

GaraDry works with many commercial businesses, emergency services, and courier firms to provide heavy-duty threshold sealing solutions to reduce water ingress while remaining suitable for repeated use by heavy vehicles such as fully-loaded fire engines or HGVs.

"We are a full-time firehouse here in Richmond, CA at the Chevron Richmond Refinery. We are the largest full-time industrial fire department at a single facility, in the country. We have a 22,000 square foot firehouse that was having continued issues with water intrusion under our fire apparatus bay doors. We tried multiple products from under door to on floor, and all of them seemed unsuccessful. Our challenge was finding an industrial-type door seal that would withstand the weight of our fire engines at an affordable price.

A fellow colleague of mine led me to your website and we have tried two different sizes of the commercial aluminum GaraDry threshold seals. Both have been very successful in keeping water out of the firehouse apparatus bay during the rainy season. We are looking to buy additional seals for the rest of our firehouse this year."

- Wesley Dacko - Chevron Fire Department

GaraDry's industry-leading range of materials, heights and lengths make them ideal solutions for a range of applications and door styles as Richmond, CA based Chevron Fire Department based out of discovered.

At busy fire stations, appliance bays are subject to constant movement and significant vehicle weight. Any sealing solution must withstand repeated use without shifting, compressing, or failing under load, while still allowing doors to open and close without restriction.

This makes many traditional weatherproofing options unsuitable for long-term use in heavy-use environments.

Fire stations that have expanded or added workshops and service bays after their original construction can be particularly vulnerable to water ingress. Where drainage and threshold detailing were not fully considered, water can easily enter during rainfall or routine vehicle washing.

In these situations a low-profile, durable threshold seal can provide an effective way to address the issue without requiring expensive structural changes to the building.

"Los Fresnos Volunteer Fire Department built a shop at the rear of our station as an afterthought to do oil changes and minor repairs on Fire Trucks. Since is was added at the last minute we did had not made accommodations for the concrete lip on the garage door. We wash trucks regularly, and were getting water in the shop every time we were washing or it rained. After researching options to remedy the problem we chose Garadry. It worked perfectly. Very easy to install and it solved the problem. We have had no issues since installing it, and are glad we found your product. Highly recommend it."

- Gene Daniels - Los Fresnos Emergency Services Chief

Following installation, water ingress beneath the bay doors was eliminated during rainy season, allowing the appliance bays to remain dry and fully operational.

In many cases, water ingress issues are not caused by a single fault, but by a combination of heavy vehicle use, uneven floors, and building designs that were not originally designed to hand modern apparatus and frequent washdowns.

Water ingress is also not the only issue. Vermin and other pests can also pose a serious risk and health and safety problem, as a DHL Supply Chain facility found out.

"We had issues with 9 of the site roller doors having small gaps at the bottom when closed. This was being highlighted on our pest control visits. I looked on the internet for a solution and found yourselves, the products looked good along with the prices so I ordered one door seal to ensure it was correct for the door. One of the site Engineers fitted this and we were happy with the finished product which led me to ordering the other 8. Very happy with the product quality and how hard wearing they are."

- Keir Robinson - Engineering Manager - DHL Supply Chain

GaraDry garage door threshold seals are an ideal solution for preventing rodents and reptiles from entering through gaps underneath loading bay doors. By sealing the gap between the bottom of the door and floor, this prevents entry points. The durable material provides a suitable deterrant for pests.

These projects demonstrate how effective threshold sealing can make a practical difference in demanding operational environments. By reducing water ingress at vehicle access points, stations are able to maintain safer internal workspaces and reduce ongoing maintenance caused by repeated water entry or from rodents and other pests.

GaraDry garage door threshold seals are designed to withstand the weight and frequency of use from heavy goods vehicles, providing a long-term approach to a common problem faced by emergency services and logictics companies.