What Is Flashing Under a Door?
The amount of energy used in a home is based on how well the house can prevent thermal transfer, which is the movement of heat out of the house during cold months and into the house during warm months. The more tightly sealed a house is, the better it can prevent the heat transfer and the more money you can save on utilities. One of the major areas for heat transfer is your entryway, because your door cannot have insulation at its edges. Flashing is designed to take care of that problem. Does this Spark an idea?
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Definition
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Flashing is the collection of materials under a door designed to create an effective air seal when the door is closed. Typical flashing is made of an entryway step with drainage pan and an attachment for the door itself, which is a flexible flange that runs against the floor and helps seal the door when it closes. Flashing can also extend up on either side of the door and include the top of the doorframe as well, but most attention is paid to the bottom of the door.
Purpose
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Good flashing will effectively close the gaps in the bottom of your doors so that air cannot pass through. However, flashing has other purposes as well. It helps keep bugs and other pests out. If you live in a rainy climate, flashing is often essential to prevent water leaks through the door and into other areas of your house.
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Parts
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Flashing typically has several parts that work together. The sill pan helps gather and channel moisture and jamb flashing helps seal the edges of the doors. The drip cap is a section at the bottom of the door that prevents water from dripping off the sill pan and into the house. Head flashing at the base of the door is used to connect jamb flashing so any cracks are not left open.
Materials
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For many modern doors, flashing is made from aluminum, especially the base portions at the foot of the door. However, the flexible flange on the door is often made of rubber or flexible insulation material. Flashing can also be made of fiberglass, especially if they are part of a fiberglass door unit that is installed as one piece.
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