Winter is coming! One of the first things to check is your entry door weatherstrip. Worn or damaged weatherstrip will cause air leaks, costing you money. These leaks will also make the house drafty and uncomfortable.
Door weatherstrip around your doors is installed when the door is new to keep the elements outside where they belong.
Over time your house will settle and things like doors and frames will also move around, the weather strip on your doors will start to deteriorate, leaving gaps in the seal that keeps out cold and hot air and insects.
A visual inspection of your door weatherstrip once a month is good to have on your maintenance plan. To really check to see if the weatherstrip is doing its job, here a few extra steps you can do.
- At night put the lights on in the house, go outside. See if there is light coming from the edges of the door. If you do then mother nature is also coming through.
- Place a piece if paper in between the door and the frame, close the door and try to pull the paper out. If it slides out then you have a weak seal and need to adjust the door latch or replace the weatherstripping.
- Use a fan or blow dryer, or wait for a windy day, and with someone on the other side of the door, check for air movement coming in around the door.
- Use a candle, move it slowly around the edge of the door and see if the flame blows around.
Having good weather seal around your door will help keep out insects and reduce your energy bills.
Replacing weatherstrip
Here is a great video from Eric George of Building Performance Group on how to replace your door weatherstrip.
If you have a newer Steel or Fiberglass door with Built-in Weatherstrip, head over to the Next Page for directions on replacing this type.
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Many newer doors come with built-in weatherstrip from the manufacturer.
It is a better system, but like any weatherstrip it can become worn or damaged.
Replace this type of weather stripping is rather easy. Check out the short video below to see how to take care of this project.
Saving money on utilities is always a great thing. Conserving natural resources is another reason to replace you weather stripping.