How to Install Weather Stripping

Weather stripping around doors and windows can be a low-cost way to stop drafts and to cut down on heating and cooling loss. We'll help you seal down the right choices.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Hammers
• Multiuse Screws
• Screwdriver Sets

1. Understand different kinds of stripping: compression strips; tubular gaskets; adhesive-backed V strips that can be cut with scissors or a utility knife; magnetic weather stripping for metal- or steel-clad doors.

2. Measure the length of all seams to be weather-stripped, add a couple of inches for each seam and add the numbers together.

3. Cut the weather stripping to fit each seam, plus extra. Apply the stripping all the way around a window by using nails, screws or adhesive. Attach the stripping to the jamb or the stop (depending on the kind of stripping you get).

4. Apply the stripping to the sides and the tops of doors. Use a weather-tight threshold or door sweep to seal the bottom. (A door sweep is a metal or wood bracket with a plastic or vinyl flap that hangs to the floor to stop airflow.)

Tips & Warnings

• There are many styles of weather stripping, so pick the one best suited to your needs. Ask store staff for recommendations.

• Be sure to thoroughly clean any surface to which you're going to apply adhesive-backed weather stripping. Use a damp rag and let the area dry completely before applying the weather stripping.

• Avoid foam and felt varieties of weather stripping - they work poorly from the start and wear out completely in a very short time.