Installing door weather stripping

By Robert Robillard on Home Repairs And Remodeling

Simpson Exterior Door

 

How To Fix That Leaky Door!

Recently I have been to two customers houses to look at “leaky” exterior doors. One of these clients actually thought and was prepared to replace the door at a cost of $3200.00. Turned out that both of these doors needed new weather seals installed.

Installing Door Weather Stripping is a DIY Project:

Installing door weather stripping is fairly straightforward and many people do not realize that a lot of the newer doors [20 years or less] and windows all have kerf-in weather strips that CAN be replaced. Over time the weather, sunlight and compression all take its toll on the weatherstripping and it looses resiliency. Both of these doors that I looked at were in real good shape, were decent quality exterior doors and were around 15-17 years old, way too soon for a costly replacement!

Kerf-In Weatherstrippinig

Both doors had kerf-in weatherstripping which is the most common seal you will find in new doors these days because it works well and is easy to install and replace. Constructed of vinyl clad foam, this weatherstrip is recommended for most residential doors.

Kerf style means that the door jamb has a thin saw cut “kerf” that accepts the weatherstripping fin.  This fin wedges into the kerf and holds the weather strip seal in place by friction. See photo. No fasteners are required to install and it comes in different colors.

These weather strips can be bought at most hardware stores for under  $30.00, or ordered from the door manufacturer.

I like using closed-cell foam or rubber [photo below] because it compresses for tight seal around entire door. It works well with wood or metal doors. [there are also magnetic seals]

Installing these strips is easy. Install the head strip first with square cuts. Then install the leg strips with a forty-five degree cut to overlap the head strip and run tight to the threshold.
Not discussed was adding weatherstripping to existing older doors, that’s a topic for another post!
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About the author

Robert Robillard

Carpenter / Remodeler / Editor

Rob Robillard is “The Concord Carpenter” Rob is a builder, general contractor, carpenter, woodworker, and editor of Concord Carpenter and ToolBoxBuzz As a General Contractor and carpenter, Rob owns and operates Concord Carpenter LLC. A full-service remodeling and construction company. Rob is a recognized leader in home building best practices and a source for how-to information for building professionals. On this website, Rob covers all aspects of home construction, building science, home improvement, woodworking, remodeling, and some of the best product and tool reviews. Rob is in charge of our Tool and Product Review series - Concord Carpenter Videos where we post all of our tool reviews and video tutorials. Rob approaches remodeling and building construction with a pragmatic and problem-solving approach. He enjoys using his knowledge and experience to help and educate building professionals as well as DIYers on best practices in the construction and remodeling industry. He's a strong advocate for "raising the bar" in the construction trades and promoting the trades to youth. #BeAMentor #Green2Great Craftsmanship, quality, and pride guide his journey on this channel The Concord Carpenter's motto: "Well done is better than well said!" : Read more about Rob

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