How to install weatherstripping on windows and doors

Installing weatherstripping onto sliding windows and doors presents some unique challenges. We'll show you in this section how to solve the various problems associated with these tasks.

All four edges around a door can permit air to leak in and out of your house. In fact, the average door has more gaps than a loose-fitting window. Doors, moreover, don't run in grooves as windows do, so any crack area around a door is likely to be far greater than the area around a window. Weatherstripping your doors can seal those gaps, get rid of drafts, and help to reduce your heating and cooling bills. In this article, we'll review the various types of weatherstripping for doors and how to install them.

Before you start weatherstripping, inspect the door to be sure it fits properly in the frame opening. Close the door and observe it from the inside. Look to see that the distance between the door and the frame is uniform all along both sides and at the top. The distance does not have to be precisely the same all the way around, but, if the door rests crooked in the frame, weatherstripping may make it impossible to open or close. Naturally, if there is great variance in the opening between the door and frame, it will be difficult to fit weatherstripping snugly at all points, and gaps will result.