How to find the drafts
You don't need any fancy tools. On a cold, windy day, slowly run the back of your hand around the edges of each outside door, including the bottom. You'll feel the cold spots. Then look for light: close the door and check for daylight around the frame or under the door, from the inside.
Another easy test is the paper test. Close the door on a sheet of paper. If it slides out with no drag, the seal isn't touching the door there. ENERGY STAR points to weatherstripping doors and caulking around windows as some of the simplest fixes for drafts.
Don't forget the door from the house to the garage and the attic access door or hatch. Those leak a lot of air, and most people never check them.
Source: ENERGY STAR
Fixing weatherstripping and door sweeps
Most door weatherstripping is a foam or rubber strip pressed into a slot in the frame. Over time it gets flat, cracked or torn and stops sealing. Here's the usual fix:
- Pull out the old strip and take it with you to the hardware store so you can match the shape.
- Press the new strip into the slot, starting at the top and working down, and trim it to length.
- For the bottom, check the door sweep, the rubber or brush strip on the bottom edge of the door. If it's torn or doesn't touch the threshold, replace it. Most screw on or slide into a track.
- Close the door and redo the paper test. It should drag a little all the way around, but the door should still latch easily.
If the door is hard to close after new weatherstripping, the strip is too thick. A good seal should touch the door, not fight it.
Where you should not seal
Sealing drafts is good, but some openings are there on purpose. Never block or seal over the vents and fresh-air openings for a gas furnace, gas water heater, or any other gas appliance. Those appliances need that air to burn safely and to vent their exhaust outside. Covering them can lead to carbon monoxide problems.
If your furnace or water heater sits in a closet with a louvered door or a vent grille in the wall, leave those open. And make sure you have working carbon monoxide alarms on every level of the house.
If the house is sealed up and it's still drafty or one room stays cold, the problem may be in the heating system or the ductwork, not the doors. Give me a call at (470) 999-7395 for a $79 diagnostic and I'll take a look.
