Front door. Draft and air leak issues

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

My front door has a door sweep but it still seems to leak a fair amount of air. Specially close to the bottom of the door.

Here are some pics that can explain this better.

Inside view of door.

Inside view this time near the hinge..

outside. The gap is probably the big issue.

Another outside view near the hinge side (1.2in should actually read 1/2 in):

Bottom of door while open

The last line is "is a little worn out"

Another view of door bottom from side:

AT present there is approx 5 degree F temperature difference between the bottom of the door and near the handle of the door. (using Black and Decker thermal leak detector gun) I can feel a distinct draft, If I shine linght through I can see it on the other side etc..

So here are my questions.

- Was the door sweep installed correctly? Is there supposed to be an air gap between bottom of door and the metal part of the sweep? If not, what steps can I take to fix the existing one or should I install a new sweep? What is this really supposed to look like?

- Or is there supposed to be some kind of "insulation" in that air gap? I saw some pics on the internet where there was a rubber block or seal in that air gap.

Any ideas or help is appreciated. Thank you for reading :)

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Comments (4)

millworkman
10 years ago
You are missing these,
bay_area_gardener thanked millworkman
bay_area_gardener
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Thanks for the suggestion millworkman. Yes. I was missing those till a few days ago. But I got them from Home depot and installed them on both sides of the door frame. Its been 5 days. I can still feel the draft and the temperature near the bottom of the door is still cooler than the rest :(ok. here is the picture showing the door corner foam tape thingy :)
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millworkman
10 years ago
What is the condition of the door sweep? Is the reveal the same vertically for the entire side of the door? Is the reveal the same on both sides of the door? What type of weatherstrip is that on the jamb?
Michael
10 years ago
Assuming you come back to read suggestions, here's mine.:)

I'd start over with new weatherstripping and door sweep. It appears
the existing is compression. Q-Lon compression is one of the finest
weatherstripping and available in most places. I use
compression/magnetic on my doors. A new sweep, cut to correct length,
will make a huge improvement. I prefer using the friction fit door
sweeps instead of screws or adhesive strips. A fiction fit is forever
adjustable without removing the door.
Also, before you install
new weatherstripping, be sure the door slab is square in the jamb
opening. The reveal should measure very close to exact on all three
sides. Adjust the hinges to improve the fit.