10 Ideas for Sealing Old Front Doors

Weather-Stripping

• Install weather-stripping around the interior perimeter of the door jamb. Easy-to-install, adhesive-backed weather-stripping is available in long rolls, with one side having a peel-off backing that adheres to the jamb. The rolls are available in various widths to fit most doors. Felt-backed and interlocking-metal weather-stripping are also effective in sealing doors(1). Vinyl gaskets with tubular rubber represent another type of weather-stripping. Small tubes made of vinyl or sponge rubber form a strong seal when a door is pressed against it (2).

Storm Door

• Add a sealing layer of protection in front of your exterior door by installing a storm door. Some storm doors are made with insulating, removable glass panels, allowing the warm sunshine to stream into a room on a wintry day. The glass panel can be removed in the summer and replaced with a screened panel. This prevents heat build-up between the storm and exterior doors, providing sufficient air circulation (3).

Insulation

• Push a rolled towel against the base of a door for a quick way to eliminate drafts coming in underneath the door (4). A sweep on the bottom of the door is another option; it forms a seal as the door swings closed, providing a more permanent insulation. The door sweep is made of a metal bar with a strip of rubber-like vinyl that lightly brushes against the floor (5). Cover drafty exterior doors that aren't used in the winter with clear plastic (6).

Holes or Cracks

• Fill any visible holes or cracks in the door with a wood filler or caulking material (7). Freshen up and seal the door's surface by applying a new coat of paint (8). Don't forget to cover a letterbox opening with a flap, minimizing cold-air flow into the house (9). Placing a doorknob cover over an old-style keyhole is a preventive measure against cold air leaking into the house through a small space (10).