If you are looking to maintain your home's climate, then it is important to weather-strip your front door, and if you are going to do that, then it is highly recommended to also replace the weather stripping on the underside of the door or install new weather stripping. In fact, replacing the bottom door seal or installation is almost more important in comparison to weather stripping, due to the reason that the width of the gap at the bottom can be as much as an inch, which in turn allows cold air, rain and snow to enter freely. There is more than one type of bottom door seal, generally referred to as a door sweep. In fact, there are five, and installation as well as replacement methods vary. The easiest to install are those that secure to the outside face of the door at the bottom and have a vinyl or rubber flap that closes the gap, however, they aren't the best. The most productive door sweeps wrap around the bottom of the door and have two or three strips of rubber or vinyl that brush in opposition to the floor. To install one of these, it is important to remove the door.
Easy Process Of Replacing Exterior Door Bottom Seal
- First of all, you need to unscrew and get rid of the old door seal, if there is one. Calculate or compute the thickness of the door and verify that your new door seal is of the same width as the old seal.
- For the door having no seal, and you have to cut it, then you need to compute the amount you have to cut, draw a line with the help of a straightedge and make the cut with the help of a circular saw. If you don't have to shorten the door, then you need to clean up the bottom edge using sandpaper.
- Calculate or compute the width of the door before cutting the new door seal to length. Align the seal in order to make sure that the more decorative side faces the outside of the door, before fitting it onto the door and tap it lightly using a hammer as long as it is fully seated.
- Push one of the provided screws along each of the holes and into the door in order to secure the sweep, before lifting the door back onto the hinges and replace the pins.
- Open as well as close the door in order to make sure that the rubber doesn't bind against the floor. If it does, you need to cut a bit more off the bottom of the door, replicating the process.
Installing A Seal To A Door Face
- There is no need to take out the door if you are looking to install a door sweep to the outside face of the door, and if you are replacing an existing door, then you, in all likelihood, might even need to drill new holes.
- Start by calculating the width of the door with the help of a tape measure and cutting the sweep, which may be metal or wood using a rubber flange, to length using a hacksaw. Close the door before setting the sweep on the bottom of the door in order to make sure that the rubber bends slightly upward against the threshold.
- Tape the sweep in place with the help of a masking tape, before opening and closing the door to make sure it swings freely. Get rid of the tape and level the sweep using a 2-foot level.
- Mark the positions of the holes with the help of a pencil, remove the sweep before drilling a 1/8-inch pilot hole on each mark. Replace the sweep and push one of the provided screws along each hole with a drill and a driver bit.