If the doors in your home are not properly insulated and sealed, you could be throwing money away. Those unsealed doors allow air to leak out of your home all year long. That means higher costs to air condition your home in summer and heat it in winter.
Adding weather stripping to your doors is one of the easiest ways to improve the energy efficiency of your home and save money on your power bills. Just follow these simple steps to replace worn weather stripping or install new weather stripping.
. The first thing you will want to do is see if your door needs new weather stripping. If your door is already airtight, you can skip this project and move on to the next one. Close your door and move your hand around the perimeter. Feel for drafts and cold air. If you feel any air escaping around the door, adding weather stripping can save you energy and money.
. Check to see if the door has any existing weather stripping. Look for cracks and other indications that the weather stripping is worn and needs to be replaced.
. Open the door and slide the old weather stripping out. The easiest way to replace old weather stripping is to buy a replacement kit that includes vinyl or foam which matches the existing weather stripping.
. Check to see which manufacturer made your door and what model you have. That will make it easier to find the right replacement weather stripping kit.
. Slide the new weather stripping into the grooves you pulled the old weather stripping out of. Make sure the weather stripping fits tightly.
. Purchase new weather stripping if your door does not currently have any installed. There are weather stripping kits available to fit a wide variety of door styles, from wood to metal.
. Close the door. Measure the top of the exterior door frame from side to side. Mark that length on the short section of your weather stripping. Cut the foam or vinyl part of the strip with a utility knife. Use a hacksaw to cut the metal or wood part of the weather stripping.
. Begin at the top of the door and hold the weather stripping along the exterior of the door. Hold it tight against the door jamb and make sure the foam or vinyl portion is tight against the door. Compress the weather stripping slightly.
. Nail or screw the weather stripping in place. Position the nails or screws approximately 2″ from each end and space them approximately 12″ apart.
. To insert the side strips, first measure and cut them using a coped cut. A coped cut means that one piece is cut square while the other piece is cut to fit over top of it. Use scissors of a utility knife to cut the foam and a coping saw to cut the wood or metal. Cut the coped end first. Leave extra length to accommodate the bottom cut.
. Sand or file the cuts until they are smooth and ensure that the weather stripping is snug on all sides. Check to make sure the door opens and closes easily before nailing it in place.