Weatherproofing Your Front Door

Do You Feel A Draft? Weatherproof Your Front Door!

Mother Nature has a way of sucking the warm air out of a home. Don’t let her win. Seal the gaps, cracks, nooks and crannies. These easy steps will protect against chilly, stormy weather and help your heat bill. It’s a bottom line home improvement that makes sense.

How to Install Weather-stripping

Stop Threshold Drafts

How to Seal the Door Frame

Change Out Storm Windows

INSTALL FOAM WEATHERSTRIPPING

woman applying weather stripping on door

First clean the door frame and let it dry.

vinyl gasket weather seal and foam window seal tape

2. Next, let’s deal with drafts. It’s amazing how tiny streams of cold air can steal your warmth.

4. Foam sealant is an inexpensive way to close up any little cracks around the door frame and side lights. The foam should not affect how your door opens and closes but creates a tighter fit.

woman applying weather stripping to top corner of door frame

Apply the foam seal starting in a corner. Remove backing and press firmly. You should work in temperatures between 40 and 90 degrees F. Work in 1-foot sections.

woman applying weather stripping to side of door frame

STOP THRESHOLD DRAFTS

woman applying foam draft buster along bottom of door

Up next, the threshold. The bottom of the door is a key source of air leaks. There are several options for plugging up those leaks.

An inexpensive foam draft buster is the easiest and quickest update. Just slide along the bottom.

Plastic door sweeps are flexible and move with your door.

There are kits to completely replace your threshold or just the rubber gasket. Remember, changing the threshold can affect the way your door opens if you have carpet or a rug. Make sure you test how your door will open and close before installing permanently.

SEAL THE DOOR FRAME

door corner seals door sweep draft buster and foam spray

Now address the entire door frame.

There are many options and kits to help with this.

A spray foam sealer is easy to use and can also be used around windows. Spray where the frame and wall meet to close off any cracks. This is especially good for older windows and doors where wood has pulled away from the wall. The foam is flexible and works its way into all the nooks and crannies.

Vinyl and metal kits door jamb kits require a little more installation. You’ll need nails or staples to install vinyl. The metal door jamb kit uses screws. The extra work will pay off with a more durable, long-lasting solution.

Door corner seals also make a big difference. Corners are a notoriously tough area to seal off and account for a lot of air leakage. These are also foam with a self-stick back for easy installation.

CHANGE OUT STORM WINDOWS

A smiling blonde woman in a white Front Door apron, applying weather stripping to a white door jamb.

Do you have a storm door? It’s time to put the glass insert back in and make sure all windows are closed. You may even choose to seal your storm door windows as well for a double wall of protection.