How to Stop the Cold Area from Coming in Under the Door

Stop drafts from coming under the door with a snake draft blocker.

Draft stoppers are a good way to block the breeze slipping under your doors. Snake-like draft stoppers, filled with sand, beans or grain are an old standard. You can easily make a double draft blocker that fits on both sides of the door and that does not have to be repositioned when the door opens and closes. A drafty door is to your heating bills what a dripping faucet is to your water bill. Stopping the energy loss and warming up the house takes no more than a few moments and pays off quickly.

Things You'll Need

• Snake draft blocker
• 1 piece of fabric 8 inches by the width of door plus 6 inches
• Sewing machine
• Iron
• Filler (sand, rice or another grain, beans)
• Fabric glue
• FOAM DOUBLE DRAFT BLOCKER
• 1 peice of fabric 15 inches by 4 inches longer than the width of the door
• 2 foam pipes as long as the width of the door

Instructions

Snake Draft Stopper

1. Measure the space under the door from one side of the frame to the other. Select a piece of fabric (double knit works well), and cut it to 8 inches wide and to a length of six inches longer than your measurement of the door. Fold the fabric in half with the wrong side out.

2. Double stitch the two edges, and close one of the two open ends with double stitching on a sewing machine. Turn the snake inside out, and work the closed end toward the open end as you would turn a sock inside out. If the seams weaken when you do this, stop, reverse and re-stitch the seams. When you turn the snake inside out, fold the edges of the open end over one-quarter inch toward the inside of the snake, and press them with the iron.

3. Hold the snake with the open end up, and pour the filler into it. Fill the snake up to three inches from the top. Shake the snake to settle the filler all the way to the bottom, making certain there are no empty pockets or gaps. When the snake is full, spread fabric glue on the edges of the open end, and press together to seal. When the glue is dry, hand stitch the end closed. Place the snake against the bottom of the door where the draft comes through.

Foam Double Draft Blocker

1. Measure the space under the door from one side of the frame to the other. Select a piece of fabric that is 15 inches wide. Choose a fabric that slides easily such as nylon. Cut it to four inches longer than the width of the door. Press and hem the fabric on one of the shorter ends.

2. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, and stitch down the center. Fold the other short end over twice and stitch it across, sealing that end. The result is two long pockets with a narrow strip of fabric between them that is roughly the width of the door.

3. Slip the foam pipes into the long pockets you have created, one into each pocket. Trim the pipe to fit the pockets. Stitch up the mouth of each pocket, sealing in the foam. Slide the double draft stopper under the door, with one foam pipe in its pocket on either side of the door. The end that was doubled over and sealed will be at the opening end of the door, not the end where the door is hinged.

References

• Cornell University Cooperative Extension: Questions and Answers About Caulking and Weatherstripping Your Home
• University of Maine Extension