A door seal is a crucial mechanism that provides the solution to a lot of your household problems. Using the right door weather stripping not only saves those hefty utility bills but also prevents dust, pests, critters, insects, and lizards from entering your home.
The door seal and window seal are quite easy to install and you can even do it yourself. They are quite inexpensive and durable, and when used properly they can save you from a lot of everyday household issues.
If you have not yet done weather stripping on the doors and windows of your home you should definitely do it now. When you weather seal your doors and windows, it will make your home more comfortable and energy-efficient.
How To Identify Spaces For Weather Stripping
Weather stripping can be done on all the doors and windows of your home. But if you do not want to invest time and money in weatherproofing all the rooms in your home you should definitely do it on the exterior doors and windows.
These are the places through which cold air in the winter season and hot air in the summer season enters your home. And this air passage can drastically affect the room temperature of your home.
- To identify the right spaces for door seal and window seal you can follow this simple process.
- Put off all the lights in the room so that the inside of the room gets dark.
- The light from the outside will seep in from all the gaps between the frames and the doors and windows.
- Carefully look at the gaps between the door and the door frame, and window and window frame, and mark them.
- You will see that at some places the gap will be minimal and at some places, it will be quite big.
- You will need different types of door seals to cover these different size gaps properly.
Types Of Door Seals
There are many different kinds of door seals and door sweeps available in the market. Some of these door seals require screws, some just slide on to the door, and some have an adhesive that easily sticks to the door.
The basic job of all these door seals and door sweeps is to keep the air from moving outside to inside and inside to outside. They additionally help to keep away the dust and other allergenic particles from your home.
On the basis of the installation method, the door seal or door sweep can be categorized into the following four categories.
Double Sided Seal
Double-sided seals are generally made with a cover, that holds the door from both sides, and foam inserts. They do not damage the surface of your door and the flooring. These seals are designed in such a way that they insulate the door from both sides.
These seals can be cut to the required size to fit most of your windows and doors. They do not require any nails or screws, they just slide on the bottom of the door, and they can easily fit the doors up to 36 inches.
Aluminum Door Seal
Aluminum door seals or sweeps offer a permanent solution that can be attached to the interior of the door with the help of screws. Unlike the double-sided seals, they will make a hole in your door.
They only provide insulation from one side i.e. the interior side. They are quite durable and they can be cut to size to fit most of the doors. If the door is more than 36 inches, you can join an additional piece.
Adhesive Door Seal
Adhesive door seals or sweeps have a peel and stick adhesive that you can stick directly on the inside of the door bottom. They are straightforward to install, and they can be installed in a matter of minutes.
Adhesive door seals offer year-round protection by blocking the air from the outside. They can also be cut to size to fit most doors up to 36 inches. You can use the additional pieces for a bigger door size.
Door Shoes
Door shoes are also a great option to weatherstrip your doors. They are also a permanent solution that covers both the sides of the door and as such provides extra insulation to your rooms.
You have to secure the door shoe to the door bottom with the help of the screws. They are made with durable materials that can withstand heavy use. As such they are a better fit for sealing the exterior doors.
Select The Best Weather Stripping For Doors And Windows
As we discussed earlier in this article a single weather stripping method might not be the answer to all your problems. You will need to use different weather stripping seals to secure the different size gaps.
There are many different material types that are used for making the door and window seal for weather stripping. There are foams, rubbers, adhesive strips, V-type strips, magnetic strips, and many other materials.
For selecting the right weather stripping you need to first analyze the gaps in your doors and windows. For securing the big gaps between the door bottom and the floor you need to use a good quality threshold.
And for securing the small gaps between the door or window and its frames you can use compression, V-type, and foam strips. Compression weather stripping is good for sealing the swinging doors and window sashes.
The V-type seal is ideal for fitting against the side of the door or a window jam. It presses against the edge of the door or sash and forms an effective seal. Foam strip comes with an adhesive backing on a side and it sticks easily to the edge of a door or window.
How To Install Door Seal Weather Stripping
A door seal is very effective for sealing the gaps and cracks in the doors and windows of your rooms. It is quite an easy process to install the door and windows seals in appropriate places to seal the air leakage.
For the door bottom, you can easily slide the door seal on the door and fix it. And for the remaining gaps, you need to use adhesive strips to seal them. Let’s have a look at this process in a few easy steps.
- You can start the process by cleaning the surface around your doors and windows. A lot of dust settles in these places over time.
- Use a damp cloth to properly clean the area so that the tape adheres properly on the surface of the doors and windows.
- Then carefully measure the edges of the door or window where you will be applying the seal tape to secure the gaps.
- Then cut the tape to the measured lengths and apply the adhesive side to the outer edges of your doors and windows.
- The V-type weather stripping is also simple to apply. It also works in the same way as the adhesive foam door seal.
- To get the V-shape you need to fold the middle of the tape. And then apply it to the edges of your doors and windows.
- The V-type seal should compress when you close the door or window so that it blocks the air from flowing through.
Advantages Of Using Door Seal
If you have not used weather stripping or door seal in your home before, you will be quite amazed to look at all the benefits of using it. It is a very simple and easy process that can bring a lot of changes to your home.
Let’s have a look at some of the main advantages that you get with using weather stripping or door seal in your home.
Maintains Constant Temperature
When you use a good quality door seal in your home it prevents the air from the outside from getting in. And it also prevents the air from the inside to go out.
This helps to stop the heat exchange between the outside and inside of your home. And as such it helps to maintain that comfortable temperature in your home.
Saves Energy Costs
In the wintertime, you have to use a room heater and in the summertime, you have to use an air conditioner to maintain the proper temperature in your home.
But if you do not have a good quality door seal a lot of air exchange will take place. And this may result in using a lot of extra bucks on the energy costs.
Keeps Insects Away
The insects, pests, and critters enter your home through the gaps and cracks between the doors and windows. These pests are not just ugly but also pretty harmful to your health.
When you use a good quality door seal it prevents these insects and pests from entering your home. As such, they are also pretty helpful in maintaining the hygiene of your home.
Prevents Dust
When the air passes through the small gap between your doors and windows it also brings a lot of dust along with it. This dust settles down at various places in your home.
It is very difficult for you to clean the dust every day from every corner of your home. As such you should use a door seal to prevent this dust from entering your home.
Helps Sound Proofing
When you use weather stripping for your doors and windows it not only stops the heat energy from transferring outside to inside and vice versa. But also does the same for sound energy.
Sound energy has the capability to seep in from the smallest of gaps and cracks. Accordingly, these door seals become very helpful in making your rooms soundproof.
