Exterior Door Draft-Proofing: Weatherstripping, Thresholds, and When a New Door Pays Off
Ensuring that all of your exterior doors are properly sealed and weather-proofed is crucial for home energy efficiency. Drafty exterior doors can let in large amounts of heat during the summer and cold in the winter, contributing to decreased efficiency and higher cooling and heating bills. While you can sometimes stop the draft by replacing the weatherstripping or installing a new threshold, there are certain situations where just replacing the entire door makes much more sense.
Where Exterior Door Drafts Come From in Winter
A drafty front door is especially a concern in winter, as it can contribute to your heating costs being significantly higher and your heating system having to work harder and thus experiencing more wear and tear. Cold air leaks commonly happen as a result of the rubber door weatherstripping cracking and falling apart, creating a gap between the door and the frame that allows air to seep inside. If the threshold underneath the door is loose or worn out, it can result in air coming in near the floor. Ensuring that the spaces between the door frame and the walls are properly sealed with caulk is also crucial for avoiding drafts. If air is coming in around any windows in an exterior door, it usually means that the window seals are worn out.
Weatherstripping and Thresholds: What They Solve (and What They Don’t)
All exterior doors should have several pieces of rubber weatherstripping that create an airtight seal between the door and the frame when the door is closed. The door frame has weatherstripping along both sides and along the top. There’s an additional piece of weatherstripping along the bottom of the door itself that creates a seal between the door and the door sill, which is the bottom part of the frame that sits on the floor. Many exterior doors also have a wood or metal threshold installed on top of the door sill, which helps create an additional barrier to prevent drafts and keep moisture from seeping under the door. In addition to preventing drafts and improving energy efficiency, weatherstripping and thresholds also help to keep unwanted pests out of the home.
While weatherstripping and thresholds help prevent drafts, they can’t solve all problems. Missing or cracked caulking around the frame or worn-out seals on the windows can still result in significant heat loss during the winter and heat gain during the summer. Even if the weatherstripping and threshold are still in good condition, you can still end up with drafts coming in if there’s a gap between the door and the weatherstripping because the door is sagging or warped.
Signs It’s Time to Replace the Door Instead of Patching
You can easily fix drafts caused by issues with the weatherstripping or threshold by replacing either or both of these parts. If there’s a draft because the door has started to sag and isn’t sitting level in the frame, you can sometimes fix the problem by taking off the door and hinges and then shimming out one or more of the hinges to relevel the door. Replacing cracked or missing caulking around the frame is also an easy way to seal up leaks.
In most other cases, the only effective solution to eliminate the draft is to replace the door. This includes if air is leaking in around the window seals, if there are any gaps around the frame because the door is warped, and if the frame is damaged or has started to rot. One fairly certain sign that an exterior door is warped or sagging is if it sticks or doesn’t close all the way. Older doors often aren’t that well insulated, which can result in heat loss and gain even if everything else is in good condition. By upgrading to a new door, you can lower your energy bills, boost your home’s curb appeal, and improve your home security.
Choose the Right Draft-Proofing Plan for Your Entry
At S&K Roofing, our family-owned and -operated company has been providing expert entry door services for over 40 years. We service homeowners in Virginia, Maryland, and DC and have a range of solutions to help you overcome drafts or any other problems. From weatherstripping and door threshold replacement to exterior door installation, our expert team has the skills to meet all of your needs. For more information on our entry door replacement services or to schedule a consultation, contact us today.
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