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| this is the product I use the foam weatherseal comes in rolls, with self-stick tape on the back side |
One of my September jobs is to check and repair the weather stripping around the exterior doors. I find this to be a good month for the job, as it's still warm outside. So if I need to leave the door open for 15 minutes, I won't be letting cold air in. Yesterday was perfect for this -- a beautiful, late summer day.
An inexpensive and easy way to prevent air leaks and heat loss around doors is to install or repair the insulating foam gasket. Replacing worn weatherseal is one of just a few insulation applications appropriate for most everyone, from renters to homeowners, and from experienced to inexperienced DIY-ers. The investment is quite small (just a few dollars) and the installation is so simple my teens could do it well. And this isn't just for the menfolk. I've been taking care of this for the last 17 years. I'm not even sure my husband realizes that I do this each year.
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| I inspect this crack all around the door, where it meets the frame |
Once a year, I do a visual inspection of my exterior doors. On a sunny day, with the door closed and locked, I inspect the crack where door and frame meet, looking for glimpses of light from outdoors. I get up on a step stool to check the upper edge and down on my hands and knees to check the lower edge, at the threshold. If I find a spot where the light appears to be leaking through, I replace the insulating gasket there with a new piece of weatherseal.
There are a couple of types of weather stripping for doors and windows. By far the easiest to apply for the DIY-er is foam weather stripping tape, often called rubber foam weatherseal or insulation. Basically it's a spongey foam material, that molds to fit the space available when the door closes, thus preventing drafts.
This type of weatherseal comes in a roll, in both black, for dark paint or stain on the door frame, and in white, for white painted door frames. I measure the spot where I'll be placing new weatherseal. I measure and cut from the roll. Unrolling the product reveals a removable paper backing on the underside of this tape. Under this paper backing is an extremely sticky surface. I place this foam in a long strip, on the door frame, where the frame and door would come in contact when the door is closed. I recheck for light leaks, and I'm done. It's just that easy.
Adding or replacing this insulation costs about $4 per standard-sized door, and takes about 15 minutes. If I'm just repairing breaks in the seal, one roll could easily do several doors, or be saved for next year. Weatherseal comes in a variety of widths and thicknesses. It's available at any hardware store. A contractor of ours recommended we use 3/8"wide by 5/16" thick for our doors. It seems to be a good fit.
These foam strips will last through regular use of the door, for several years. I have a spot on one door that catches and I do wind up replacing just that one little bit every other year. The rest of the foam strips have lasted for about 4 years so far. A note -- if the foam has been painted over, it won't have the same ability to compress and form to the space in the door frame, and should be replaced.
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| fold-over rubber gasket the door didn't have a perfect seal |
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| I've added some foam strip under the fold, so the door would have a better seal |
Doors sometimes warp or never were hung exactly right to begin with. And even with the more expensive, rubber gasket installation, there can be a small gap in the seal. There's a type of rubber gasket that folds over in the frame. We have one such door and gasket combo. The door is just slightly warped and so when checking for draft possibilities, I can see light leaking through in a couple of spots. Here, I've placed this foam weatherseal under the fold of the rubber gasket, to improve the seal.
This type of foam weatherseal can be used on windows and around air conditioner units, as well. Next week, I'll be doing older aluminum-frame windows in two rooms of our house (the rest of the windows have been replaced) with this same product. I hope to make all the rooms in our house cozier and less prone to drafts for this winter.
I don't know just how much this could potentially save us in energy costs. Perhaps someone here, reading, has an idea of how much can be saved just by weather stripping doors and windows. It would be interesting to know. Are you doing anything in particular to make your home snug and cozy for the coming winter?
