Sealing Doors

Sealing doors is very important if they have cracks or are letting drafts in around the edges. Older doors may have warped or shrunk over time and fit very poorly. If it has a window, see winterizing windows Wooden doors often have wood panel inserts that allow for expansion and contraction of the wood from season to season. These can become loose or crack and let in drafts. New paint or finish can help seal these leaks. Where the door meets the frame is very often a leakey area. There are many types of weather stripping available for sealing around doors, to stop or reduce these leaks. The weather stripping is attached to both sides of the door frame and across the top. When the door is closed it should fit snugly against the stripping, along all edges, to stop drafts. Old doors may have unused key-holes or loose fitting hardware, such as knockers, that let in drafts. It is beneficial to plug these leaks. Solid wood doors will sometimes warp differently with changes in humidity. It is important to use weather stripping that will adjust to the changes in the shape of the door. The best type I have found for this situation, is the type that has a spring inside that follows the change in door shape. The last area that can be improved is at the threshold. There are some thresh-hold strips that fit onto the bottom of the door or there is the type that the door closes against. The advantage of the type that attach to the bottom of the door, is that should the door warp it will still stop drafts.

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