Key takeaways
Weatherstripping is a cheap and easy way to stop door drafts and reduce heating costs
Adhesive-backed weatherstrip seals are the simplest to install
Consider installing a door sweep to prevent under-door drafts
If you’re looking for ways to reduce drafts and lower heating bills this winter, start at your front door or—more specifically—the weatherstripping around it. An entry door relies on weatherstripping to seal its perimeter and prevent frigid air from blowing in.
When weatherstripping fails—as it eventually does—cold air enters and warm air leaks out through gaps between the door and its frame. Besides draft-proofing your home, sealing air leaks can slash heating bills by 10–20% annually, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Weatherstripping basics
Replacing door weatherstripping is an easy and affordable task you can do yourself. Most new doors come with weatherstripping installed on the door frame. If you buy a door without a frame, however, it will need to be weatherstripped. If weatherstripping on an existing door is cracked, ripped, crushed, worn out, or poorly fitted, it should be replaced.
The best time to weatherstrip a door? Plan to do it before cold weather arrives, since you’ll need to keep the door open while replacing old weatherstripping. For other cold-weather prep tasks, learn more about winterizing your home.
Pro tip: To pinpoint where air is blowing in, close the door and slowly pass a smoldering stick of incense around the inside of the door. The slightest breeze will make the smoke stream dance, indicating the location of the air leak.
Two ways to seal an entry door
Two types of weatherstripping, also known as “draft stoppers,” create a tight seal between the door’s perimeter and the door frame and floor:
Door-jamb weatherstripping. Thin seals placed along the side jambs and top of the door that prevent air from moving between the door edges, door jambs, and door stops (the moldings that the door closes against).
Door sweeps. Rubber, metal, or brush-like bristles that seal the gap between the bottom of the door and the floor.
Attach foam weatherstripping to the door jamb on the hinge side and the edge of the door stop on the top and latch-side of the door. Illustration: © HomeTips.com
Door-jamb weatherstripping
DIY facts
Skill level: Beginner
Cost: Under $20
Repair time: 1 hour
Tools needed: Scissors
Often the most difficult part of replacing weatherstripping is choosing the right replacement for your door. Weatherstripping products come in a dizzying array of shapes, sizes, and materials. The trick is selecting replacements that work on your door.
Some types of door weatherstrips are held in place with peel-and-stick adhesive, while others must be secured with small nails or screws. A few types have flanges that fit into slots cut in the doorframe.
Home-improvement centers and hardware stores are typically well stocked with weatherstripping products. When shopping for new weatherstripping, take along a piece of the old seal to find the right match.
Types of door-jamb weatherstripping
The various types of door weatherstripping vary in price, ease of installation, and effectiveness. Here are the pros and cons of each type and tips for installation:
Adhesive-backed foam weatherstripping
Pros
Easy to install with scissors
Well hidden when door is closed
Inexpensive
Seals irregular gaps
Con
Less durable than other types
Foam is a compression type of weatherstripping. When the door closes against it, the high-density foam strip compresses to seal gaps and block out drafts. It’s also referred to as “foam tape” or “foam weatherstrip.”
Foam tape has a peel-and-stick backing that’s easy to cut with scissors. It’s highly effective at sealing uneven gaps but can wear off the door jamb after a year or two of heavy usage.
Pro tip: To seal a standard-size door, you’ll need at least 17 feet (more for an unusually large door). A 17-foot roll of foam tape costs about $7.
Foam weatherstripping also comes in various thicknesses. Buy a size that’s slightly thicker than the gap between the door’s outer face and the door stop. For most entry doors, ⅜-inch or ½-inch-thick foam seal works best.
To install this type of weatherstripping:
Clean and dry the jamb and edge of the door stops. These run along the vertical sides and horizontal top of the doorway opening. This is important because adhesive won’t stick to dusty or dirty surfaces.
Cut three pieces of foam weatherstripping to length: one for each side jamb and one for the head jamb (the top horizontal section of a door frame).
Peel off the protective backing and press weatherstripping to the hinge-side jamb and edge of the door stops where shown. For easier installation, apply 6 inches at a time. Peel off 6 inches of the protective backing, press weatherstripping in place, then peel back another 6 inches, and repeat. Cut off any overlap at the corners.
(Left) Adhesive-backed foam weatherstripping is the least expensive and easiest to apply. (Right) Tubular rubber-gasket weatherstripping mounts to the face of the door stop, providing an effective, but highly visible seal. Illustration: © HomeTips.com
Tubular rubber- or vinyl-gasket weatherstripping
Pros
Peel-and-stick types are easy to install
EPDM (premium synthetic rubber) types are very durable, even in extreme cold
Cons
Very visible on door jambs
Types with a flange are sturdy but require more tools to install
Shaped like a hollow tube, rubber gasket is a type of compression weatherstripping. It conforms to the space between the door and door stop, effectively sealing out drafts. A 17-foot roll costs between $5 and $20.
Some tubular rubber gaskets have peel-and-stick adhesive backing. Others come with an attached metal or wood mounting flange that’s secured with small nails or screws. The peel-and-stick type is slightly less expensive and easier to install, while the flange style is more secure and durable. You’ll need metal-cutting snips to install the flange.
Seals made from premium rubber typically come with a 10-year warranty against freezing or cracking. They cost $5–20 for a 17-foot roll. Follow directions on the package for installation.
Another related type of weatherstripping, called foam-filled tubular gasket, is similar to tubular-rubber gasket, except that it has a solid, spongy-foam core that holds its shape better and lasts longer than hollow-core types.
Pro tip: When cutting gaskets that have a metal- or wood-mounting flange, use scissors or a sharp utility knife on the tubular part, then metal-cutting snips or a hacksaw to cut the flange.
Spring V-seal weatherstripping
Pros
Plastic peel-and-stick types are easiest to install
Well hidden when door is closed
Cons
Doesn’t follow irregular contours or gaps
Metal types are sturdy but require more tools to install
May require adjustment over time
Spring V-seal, also known as tension-seal weatherstripping, is a thin strip of resilient plastic or metal folded into a V-shape installed along each side of the door jamb, and across the top of the doorway opening. When a door closes, the V shape springs against it, creating tension—and blocking drafts—between the door and door jamb.
Plastic V-seals often have a peel-and-stick backing and can be cut to size with scissors. Seals made of copper, aluminum, bronze, or stainless steel must be nailed in place and require a metal-cutting tool called “aviation” snips.
V-seals are typically sold in a kit that includes parts for one door. Prices run from $9–22, depending upon material and quality. Follow directions on the package for installation. Over time, metal V-seal weatherstripping can flatten slightly, creating air-leaking gaps. If this happens, use a putty knife to carefully bend it open to its original angle.
(Left) Spring V-seal weatherstripping springs against the door’s edge to create a seal, and is well hidden when the door’s closed. (Right) Felt weatherstripping with a flange attaches to the face of the door stop, providing a seal around the door’s perimeter. Illustration: © HomeTips.com
Felt weatherstripping
Pros
Inexpensive
Easy to install
Fills irregular gaps
Cons
Very visible on door jamb
Not very durable
Felt is one of the oldest types of weatherstripping, used as a compression seal around a doorway opening. Commonly sold in rolls, with or without adhesive backing or a nail-on rigid flange, felt costs less than $5 for a 17-foot roll. Although it’s affordable, effective, and easy to install, felt doesn’t last as long as other types of weatherstripping and may need to be replaced after a couple of years.
Magnetic seal weatherstripping
Magnetic seal is a compression-type of weatherstripping designed specifically for steel doors. When a metal door closes, the magnetic surface sticks to the door to seal out drafts. A continuous magnetic strip encased in a flexible rubber housing, this type of weatherstripping features peel-and-stick installation and is sold as a kit for about $35 per door.
Door sweeps
Designed to seal the gap under entry doors, door sweeps don’t always prevent drafts. That’s because they can make a door difficult to open if installed too snugly. The extra room needed for clearance can result in cold air sneaking in under the door.
DIY facts
Skill level: Moderate Cost: Under $30 Repair time: 2 hours Tools needed: Drill, screwdriver, hacksaw (for some)
New entry doors come with some type of door sweep installed in a kerf (saw cut) along the door’s bottom edge. This type of sweep or door bottom is most often made from a series of thin, flexible rubber fins that extend down lower than the height of the threshold. When you close the door, the fins sweep over the top of the threshold, pressing down to seal any air-leaking gap. At least that’s how it’s supposed to work.
Unfortunately, the fins on the underside of the door sweep are often too high to make contact with the threshold. Or, they’re too low and get crushed each time the door is closed, dramatically shortening their life.
Adjusting the threshold
If the fins on the door sweep are in good shape, you might be able to seal out drafts by raising the threshold. Many modern entry doors have spring-loaded adjustable thresholds. Look closely at the top of your door’s threshold. If it’s an adjustable type, you’ll see three or four large caps or screw heads.
Pry off each cap to reveal an adjustment screw.
Turn the screw counterclockwise to raise the threshold to the proper height. If your threshold has exposed screw heads, use a screwdriver to turn them counterclockwise until the door-sweep fins make firm contact with the top of the threshold.
Replacing the sweep
If the sweep’s original fins are damaged, or the door threshold is not adjustable, you’ll need to buy and install a new door sweep. Sweeps are available online and at major home improvement centers for $7–20, depending upon type and quality. To install, follow instructions on the package. In most cases, you’ll only need a screwdriver, but a hacksaw may be required to cut the sweep’s length to match the door and threshold.
Pro tip: When screwing a door sweep in place, don’t worry if it’s not perfectly level. It’s more important that the sweep makes contact across the entire length of the threshold.
Types of door sweeps
There are two basic types of door sweeps:
Surface-mount. Made of aluminum or resilient plastic, surface-mount door sweeps screw to the interior bottom of the door and feature either a continuous flexible vinyl fin or a long coarse-bristle brush. When screwing the sweep to the door, make sure its flexible fin or bristle brush is firmly contacting the threshold. Slip-on. Also known as a door shoe or U-channel, a slip-on door sweep is typically made of plastic and easy to install. Slip it onto the bottom edge of the door, close the door, then raise or lower the door sweep until its flexible fins contact the threshold. Secure the sweep to the inside door surface with a few screws.
When and how to hire a pro
Although weatherstripping is a home improvement you can do with little or no DIY experience, you’ll want to hire a pro for bigger jobs, such as several doors and windows that need weatherstripping.
A general contractor will charge between $65 and $100 per door. A handyman can perform this simple task for much less.
Find a pro to install weatherstripping near you.
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