Sealing and protecting your door from air and water infiltration is an important part of your home’s maintenance. Drafts and leaks can cause:
Higher utility bills
Discomfort due to drafty entryways
Bug infestations
There are 4 major areas to keep an eye on when checking for leaks around your door:
Upper corners
Around jambs or between French doors
Crucial corners
Beneath the door
Here’s how to check each area for symptoms of poor weather sealing or incorrect installation.
If your door is sagging or bowed, or just not making proper contact with the weatherstrip, then it can’t properly seal out air and water. If you see gaps or light peaking through around the upper corners of your door, these gaps could cause drafts and leaks.
Quick fix: The Simple Corner can increase contact and provide a tighter seal. Installation is quick, and no tools are needed!
Weatherstrips protect against air and moisture infiltration by creating a compressed seal between the door jamb and door panel, and can be purchased in a variety of materials and colors. When weatherstrips begin to age, the material may tear away or become too compressed to effectively seal the door.
Take a look at your exterior doors, do you see light around the closed door panels? Have you noticed water leaking into your home? Then it may be time to reinstall your weatherstripping.
Quick Fix: Weatherstrips come in a variety of different styles and sizes. Find your perfect weatherstrip in our Weatherstrip Selection Guide.
Located at the bottom corners of your door frame, the crucial corner is the most important area around your exterior door.
Gaps between the door panel and door jamb occur as your house settles or as corner pads wear out or fall off. It’s vital to make sure the crucial corner is sealed properly. Sealing the crucial corner will deliver noticeable improvements to your exterior door system’s ability to deflect light, air, and water infiltration.
As leaks from around the jamb or from upper corners run down to the bottom of the door, the crucial corners tend to take the blame for leaks. If you notice moisture or light infiltration after repairing the seal on the crucial corner, double check the upper corners, door jamb, and beneath the door for other culprits.
Quick Fix: Simply remove the corner pad’s adhesive backing and stick the pad to the inside of your door frame at the crucial corners. Learn more about updating your corner pads in our Corner Pad Installation Project Guide.
Door bottoms seal the space between the door sill and door panel, so they are prone to common wear and tear, damage by mischievous pets who like to chew, and everyday bumps and spills. Cold drafts, insects, and light sneaking in under a closed door panel are all signs that your door bottom needs to be replaced.
Quick Fix: Door bottoms are important, but leaks can also be caused by the door sill. Even brand-new door bottoms won’t create a secure seal if your door sill isn’t properly adjusted. Alternatively, check your sill adjustment to close any gaps beneath your door panel.