Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler advice on weatherstripping

So our front door has a ha-yuge gap around it, which leads me to believe we need more weatherstripping. There's some there already, but it's really not doing the trick. Any advice on what to get? The gap is almost 1/4" in some places, and I can see sunlight through it, so clearly the weatherstripping isn't doing its job. Here's some pics:

The weatherstripping is most likely very old and not as soft/supple as it should be. You can replace the weatherstrip that is there with some new stuff and if that doesn't fix the sunlight/draft coming through you will have to adjust the catch on the door to hold it closed tighter against the seal.

OK, so basically just take out the old stuff, grab big thick stuff and put that in, and hopefully my problem is solved. I can do that.

there are plastic strips that incorporate a spring loaded part that runs the entire length; it's nailed to the door frame itself.
when you close the door, the spring loaded part adjusts to the unevenness of the door and blocks any open spaces; that makes for a very good seal.

I have used the strip that J.B. mentions and they work very well. The only downside I ran into is that I had to pull the door closed to open/close the deadbolt lock because the pressure of the strip pushed the bolt out of alignment with its receptacle_hole_thingy.

Ken, I have a lot of experience with weatherstripping of various kinds, having gone through many different types on my automatic front door.

For a gap of that size around the perimeter of the door, it's generally recommended to narrow it first by having a "shim" made that runs from the bottom to the to of the door (I have the same issue along the latch side of my door). Just remember to run a bead of caulk before nailing it.

After you've done that, I'd get some high quality weatherstripping from a company like Pemko. Their stuff is expensive but it's top notch quality, unlike the stuff sold at Home Depot etc. I'm using Kerf perimeter gasketing and am very happy with it. It's not as expensive as their other products (I've used their spring loaded adjustable weatherstripping, and it cost almost $200), but it's extremely popular here in Canada.

It's probably overkill, but you could add their adhesive gasketing along the jamb as well. I am currently using the "fin style" on my sliding patio door, and have successfully used the "bubble style" on my front door. The one thing I'd strongly suggest when using any adhesive weatherstripping, is that it's enforced with a contractors adhesive caulk like this.

Hope that helps.

Thanks, guys!

Cam, when you're talking about the shim, do you mean a piece of wood? Do I attach that to the door frame or to the door itself?

Yeah, a piece of wood attached to the existing wooden door frame. Shim probably isn't the correct term, but I didn't know what else to call it.

If you decide to install kerf perimeter gasketing, here's an excellent video showing how to properly install it. There's a specific way to cut the corners so they overlap and create a good seal.

Here's a picture of one of my doors jams. Notice
1) the piece of wood that's up against the door when it's shut.
2) the metal strips in front of it that snug up to the door when it's shut.


I find a sweep to work well on the bottom of my front door.