How to Weather Strip a Front Door
Taking steps to weather proof your home can save you lots of money and make your home more comfortable. Investing a little time will have big rewards in value and comfort. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Standard weather strip kit (I use the metal strip with the rubber bulb inbedded in it)
- Tape Measure
- Tin Snips (yellow handle)
- Drill gun with pillips attachment
Instructions
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The first thing you need to do is to get all of your supplies and bring them outside. Once you are ready to start close and lock the door, locking all the locks so that you are sure the door is closed at its tightest points. This is important because if you were to install the weather strip with the door unlocked then you might have a problem closing and locking the door.
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The first piece of weather strip I install first is the piece at the top and this is because the two side pieces will hide the ends of the top piece. Take a measurement at the top of the door using your tape measure. Measure from the edge of the door stop on the right to the door stop on the left. (the door stop is the piece of trim that runs along the door all the way around). Convert that measurement onto the short piece of weather strip and make a mark. Use your tin snips to cut the short piece of weather strip along the mark you made. Check for proper fit and place the piece of weather strip at the top of your door so that the rubber bulb just touches the door (you don't want to put to much pressure against the door, as that will interfere with its proper operation). Now using the screws provided, find the middle hole on the metal strip and drive a screw into it. After that drive a screw to the left and to the right. Continue to do it this way until all of the holes have screws in them. **starting in the middle and working to the ends should give you equally pressure through out the strip**
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The next piece I install is the piece on the hinge side of the door, there is no technical reason for this, its just my preference. Take a measurement from the threshold plate at the bottom of the door to the piece of weather strip that you just installed and transfer that measurement to one of the two pieces left and cut at your mark. If you have the type of door sweep on the bottom of your door that has a piece extruding out you will have to trim around that as well. Again place the weather strip against your door and secure to the door stop as previously explained. Now do the same thing for the piece that is left and install as previously explained.
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Once all three pieces are installed you need to unlock the door, go inside and close the door again. Look around the edges of the door for daylight. If you see daylight on the sides take a measurement from the threshold up to the point where you see the daylight start and stop. Go back outside lock the door, measure up from the threashold and mark the weather strip with pencil to the measurements you had taken inside. Remove the screws in the area inside the pencil marks and push the weather strip in a little more, then re-install the screws. Do this all the way around your door until the daylight is gone.
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Tips & Warnings
Some doors have "door savers" on them, which is a metal plate that goes around where the locks are on the door. These door savers sometimes make simple adjustments impossible. An easy way around this is to snip a slice in the rubber bulb where the door saver begins and where it ends.
