Weather-stripping doors

BY DENNIS CREECH AND KRIS KNUTSON

Q. I can see light shining in around my doors and feel a cold draft. What should I do?

A. Reducing air leakage, or infiltration, is an important part of improving the overall comfort and performance of your home. In winter, cold, dry air increases heating costs and can cause discomfort.

In the spring and summer, hot, humid air carrying pollen, mold and other pollutants can enter the house, degrading indoor air quality and increasing cooling and dehumidification costs. Infiltration around doors is a common problem, but also occurs in many other places. A blower door test will help you find the biggest leaks. To find a contractor who can perform this test and fully assess your home, visit www.southfacehomeperformance.com and click on “Find a Contractor.” Fortunately, there are several simple ways to get started by fixing air leaks around the door.

First, make sure the door operates properly and closes in its frame. It should not  rub against the jamb. If the door is not level or sags, hinges can be shimmed to make the door hang straight. When the door comes to rest in the closed position it should butt up against the stop, the narrow material fastened to the sides and top of the door frame. If the door is excessively warped and does not close against the stop, it may be necessary to replace the door to get a good seal. A slight gap where the door meets the stop can be fixed by using an exterior weather-stripping kit.

If the problem is minor, the outside of the jamb can be weather-stripped with a foam or brush kit. Pets tend not to claw or bite at the brush-style weather stripping, which generally holds up to wear and tear better. Both kits contain pieces that mount on the top and sides of the stop. You will also need a sweep kit; this runs along the bottom of the door.

Kits are available in a number of colors and come packaged with screws to fasten the weather stripping to the stop. Carefully follow the instructions in the package on how to measure the door opening and cut the material; the order of operations is essential. A foam kit can usually be cut with sheet-metal shears or tin snips. The stronger brush style may require a hacksaw.

Once the sweep is mounted on the bottom of the door, test to see that the door closes properly. The weather stripping may need adjusting to make closing the door easier.  Although, it’s not a major problem if the door closes snugly, as over time it will compress and adjust to the normal operation of the door.

Dennis Creech is the executive director and Kris Knutson is a residential energy expert at Southface—Responsible Solutions for Environmental Living, www.southface.org.