My French Doors Are Sticking on the Gaskets

Interior Doors

• French doors that separate rooms within a home are primarily for privacy and decoration. Flexible gaskets that run around interior French doors may be in place in case the doors are installed as exterior doors, or to prevent air, dust and sound from traveling between rooms. If gaskets prevent interior French doors from opening, you can simply cut the gaskets to a smaller size using a utility knife and a straightedge.

Exterior Doors

• Exterior French doors rely on gaskets to keep warm air inside during the winter and hot air out in the summer months. The quality of an exterior French door's insulation, including the glass and wood, as well as the gasket, impacts your home's overall energy efficiency. Check to ensure that exterior French door gaskets aren't sticking because they're frayed or coming loose, which can happen due to exposure to the elements. Replace or reattach gaskets instead of cutting them down.

Refrigerator Doors

• Some refrigerators use French doors, giving you access to separate compartments individually or using one door for freezer access on side-by-side models. Gaskets are important to refrigerator French doors because they not only keep food cold, but also prevent the fridge from working too hard and burning its compressor out prematurely. If your fridge door gaskets stick, check to ensure that they are seated properly in the channels that hold them. If they are sticky due to deterioration or cracked and frayed, order replacement gaskets and install them to keep your fridge working properly.

General Tips

• French door gaskets typically surround both doors, meeting at the center where the two doors come together when closed. If one door closes in a position that is forward of its partner, that door should have the outermost gasket. You may also need to close French doors in the correct order to have the gaskets and latch line up properly.