Preparing for Winter

When do my doors need weatherstripping?

Let’s look at an example. If you have a pair of 6' 8" exterior doors in your home that don’t have weatherstripping, you can easily have an opening of ¼" all along the edge where the doors meet. This ¼" gap adds up to a 20-square-inch opening to the outside. If you saw a hole this big in your wall, wouldn’t you want it fixed?

Weatherstripping around exterior doors can be checked with a flashlight. Outside the closed door, move the flashlight slowly around the door edge. If a helper inside the house can see light shining in, weatherstripping is needed.

Use quality weatherstripping that will last multiple years and that can be securely attached. Weatherstripping comes in various thicknesses, widths, and materials. Examples of materials and forms include spring or V metal, tubular gasket, foam-edge wood strips. Sponge and foam tape or felt are generally not as durable as silicone, metal, or vinyl weatherstripping.

Can I seal a gap under my door without replacing the door?

Yes. Door sweeps, thresholds, and door shoes are good ways to seal gaps under exterior doors. A door sweep (a strip of metal often with a flexible rubber or plastic edge), can be used on a door with no threshold. The sweep is connected to the door bottom, either inside or outside, depending on how the door moves. A gasket threshold replaces an existing threshold and can be attached to the floor directly under the door. This type of gasket wears quickly in high traffic areas. Door shoes have rubber or plastic gaskets set into a metal bracket. This shoe is affixed to the door bottom, and can be used with any threshold not worn in the middle. In addition, a draft stopper can be made out of fabric and sand into long tube to place in front of the door to stop drafts