How to Replace Door Sealing

Get more bang for your heating and cooling buck by sealing exterior doors.

Door sealing, sometimes called weather stripping, consists of a thin strip of insulation that fills in the space between an exterior door and frame. Weather stripping provides a barrier against the elements that can add up to significant energy savings each year. Manufactured exterior doors include a seal, which often doesn't last as long as the door itself. Fortunately, replacing the seal is a simple job that takes only minutes and requires no special tools.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Door sweep
• Scissors
• Tin snips
• Hammer, or electric screwdriver or drill

Instructions

1. Measure the interior length and width of the doorway. Check the hinged side of the door for cracks; if there is enough room for a section of stripping, multiply the length of the door by two. This is not common. Add the length(s) and width, add 10 percent to accommodate waste and purchase an appropriate amount of weather stripping.

2. Purchase a door sweep that is either the exact width of the door or slightly larger. If the door is made of wood, buy a tack-in sweep; if it is metal, buy one with metal-tapping screws.

3. Cut each section of weather stripping to the appropriate sizes for your door.

4. Peel the backing off the first section of weather stripping and apply the sticky side to the door frame. Continue until you have covered each portion of the door.

5. Snip the door sweep to the width of the door, then tack or screw it onto the interior bottom part of the door. The rubber portion should meet the bottom of the door frame but should not drag on the floor.

References

• Lowe's: Weatherstrip Windows and Doors
• Energy Savers: Weatherstripping