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azwildcat74 t1_je9wyv2 wrote

Replace the ancient weatherstrip. If it still isn't making good contact they make extended reach weatherstrip.

287

Tebasaki t1_je9xw9k wrote

Weatherstripping. Peel/scrape old stuff off and stick new one on

118

ZenWhisper t1_je9ysc9 wrote

Replying to Tebasaki (#2,484,991)

Measure the gap width first to know what size to get. But yeah. You'll be saving more in heating/AC costs than the cost of the weatherstripping so jump ahead to doing and don't sweat it.

61

ApparentlyABear t1_jea02j1 wrote

Start with replacing the weather stripping - there are multiple sizes and they are cheap so buy a couple and figure out what size fills that gap without affecting the function of the door.

If problems still persist, the other thing you can do is get an HVAC contractor to come out and check the air balance in your house. If you have negative pressure in your house, you’ll be constantly drawing air from the outside into your home.

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islandsimian t1_jea0b1r wrote

That's a large gap. As others have said replace the weatherstripping, but if the other side of the door is much tighter, you can add shims behind the hinges to push the door closer to the other side.

27

bee_ryan t1_jea1ize wrote

If new weatherstripping isn’t helping, your panel is bowed. Time for a new door in that case. You probably don’t have a 6’ level laying around, but that would be the easiest way to see.

I’m not saying you need a pricey door with a 3 point lock, but those types of doors prevent this from ever happening.

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Tebasaki t1_jea3rsp wrote

Replying to jap5531 (#2,486,431)

Yeah. They have different thicknesses so if it's too thin then it won't solve your problem. If it's too thick you'll have to lay in the door to get it shut. It's a 1 star difficulty level so don't sweat it

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islandsimian t1_jea4100 wrote

Replying to jap5531 (#2,486,403)

The door will definitely expand a bit in the heat, but you've got plenty of room there. Try it with cardboard and only do one shim at a time and it shouldn't take you any more than 10 minutes. If it gets warm and it's too much, take out some of the cardboard one at a time.

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ApparentlyABear t1_jea4a63 wrote

Replying to jap5531 (#2,486,367)

Usually adjust some dampers. In extreme cases they may need to resize a duct or add dampers to existing ducts. Basically they’re measuring how much air is getting sucked into your HVAC unit and how much air is getting pushed out of each register and try to make those numbers the same.

11

Gov_CockPic t1_jea4k7a wrote

Replying to jap5531 (#2,486,367)

I'm not sure how they fix it, but the test we always used to use is if you fart in the middle of your living room, how long does it take to stop smelling of fart? If time-to-dispersion is less than 26 seconds of butt gas smell time, you've got yourself a leak.

−15

DeadMeadow_ t1_jea68t4 wrote

I wrapped bubble wrap in duct tape and taped it down under my door cus i dont have the patience to wait for my bf to do it. lol works p well for now

1

bcvickers t1_jea9mzj wrote

Your weather stripping done for and you might need to adjust the strikeplate to get the door to close against the new one a bit harder.

1

drcpdltd t1_jea9ot2 wrote

Repost this in the fall- it’s springtime!

−7

TS92109 t1_jeaxyv2 wrote

I had to buy 3 different thicknesses of weather stripping because some gaps were way wider than others.
It's a running joke in San Diego - I'm pretty sure all of us commoners can see light through our front door cracks!

6

CatDad660 t1_jeb4n7h wrote

Bronze spring if you want to class it up and never have to do it again.

1

Grippenripp t1_jeb5m8z wrote

Just replace the seal and see what it looks like. I bet it will seal fine. If it doesnt bend the hinges a little. Theres plenty of videos out there on that.

2

imgrandojjo t1_jeb5oge wrote

Short term solution: Mount a curtainrod, hang a blanket above the door. You'd be surprised how much putting a little cloth between you and the problem will help while you get a better solution worked out. The blanket disrupts the airflow and slows down the unwanted loss of heat/cooling. It's not a perfect solution but it's better than nothing.

10

Esset_89 t1_jebehrt wrote

Your doors don't use a flange design?

3

MainOld697 t1_jebjggt wrote

Replying to jap5531 (#2,486,403)

Don't do this, crazy idea honestly.

What you SHOULD do (and my professional recommendation) would be;

  1. replace the weather stripping, it clearly saw it's best days when the twin towers were still standing.

  2. with the door closed, pin some fresh 2x1 to the existing jambs to build them out more, best to do this part with the door closed so you can get a nice tight seal.

  3. enjoy a far less draughty door.

9

mattslot t1_jeblsxj wrote

In addition to fixing the weather stripping, look into getting a storm door.

5

bee_ryan t1_jebr7uj wrote

Replying to kitwashere (#2,501,228)

Like anything else, it boils down to the quality of the manufacturer and installation being done correctly, installation being more important of the 2. I’ve been to many houses with 20+ year old Andersen doors that function perfectly, however, when the 3 point lock does eventually break in an Andersen, it is kinda costly at around $250+ for the part alone.

1

kitwashere t1_jebsdk1 wrote

Close the door so it latches, put your foot down right at the door, and push the door farther in. Measure the gap between your foot and the door at the new position. Trim a piece of wood to the height of the door frame and the width you measured earlier, rip off old weather stripping, attach wood however you see fit, apply new weather stripping.

I've never done this and I'm talking out my ass but I think it should work. Probably have to adjust your strike plates for the locks to latch and bolt properly afterword

1

kitwashere t1_jebt3fx wrote

Replying to bee_ryan (#2,501,385)

I work as a locksmith so I'm biased because I only get called for busted ones. No one calls me when it's working fine. But, when I do get these calls I dread them because it usually boils down to me telling them the parts and labor are going to come very close to the cost of a new door/frame. IMO the mechanism is just too complicated and has too many points of failure

1

exterminans666 t1_jebt61d wrote

Replying to Esset_89 (#2,498,240)

That was also my first questing. Heck. Here even most in house doors have flanges... Fuck even my room door has a flange an a rubber seal... (Sound still travels because the installation was done by a diyer and he did not care to install a proper floor seal. But still... Like there is a small gap on the floor that is smaller than that gap ....

1

Electron_VS_Reality t1_jebvn4n wrote

eat a bunch of sliced cheese in the individual packaging, then ball a bunch of the wrappers in your hands and stuff them in the cracks of the door

0

Exotic_Bed_6095 t1_jebxx2q wrote

Remove trim, -adjust jam -shim -replace trim -caulk -done.

1

sjguy1288 t1_jecgmx9 wrote

Go to home Depot and buy new q-lon door seals. They pull out. The new seal is like $8 each they are 7 feet long. You can cut them down with a knife.

1

Kesshh t1_jeclhdn wrote

I suggest taking the door off, removing all the trims, and reframe the door. Cover the exterior, foam seal all the gaps, wrap the exterior, moisture barrier the interior, then drywall interior. Then rehung the door, with added weather stripping. Like what you would have done if you replace the door with one that is bigger or smaller. It’ll be similar steps.

0

Brakmyer t1_jecwd7r wrote

In addition to all the good weatherstripping advice, sometimes the strike plates need to be adjusted to hold the door closed tighter. And if locking the deadbolt closes that gap, do that.

1

stachemz t1_jeczg86 wrote

Replying to imgrandojjo (#2,496,145)

Curtains can be crazy good insulators. I lived with my grandma after grad school, and she liked to keep the house at 80. I am warm most of the time anyway, so that wasn't gonna be good. I also had to take the door off my room (only location for cat's literbox was where the door swung), so I hung up a privacy curtain. Ran my portable AC in my bedroom and my room and the rest of the house were SIGNIFICANTLY different temperatures, with very very little gradient between. You'd pull the curtain aside and step into a fridge. It was beautiful.

Also I just hung my curtain off of a couple command hooks, easier than mounting a whole curtain rod.

3

JimJam28 t1_jedhru9 wrote

Remove the old weather stripping. Set it aside. Demolish the house and build anew from the ground up. Reapply the old weatherstripping to the door frame. By that time the seasons will have changed. It should cost you no more than $750,000-$1,000,000.

5

BigHeed87 t1_jedkg4o wrote

Take the molding/trim off and shove insulation in the gaps

1

hellwisp t1_jednm4x wrote

I cheaped out on the entrance door.. and now it is the biggest heat loss point in the house. Freezes through. Lets air through in breezy weather. Would take a small prybar to break in. Poor craftsmaship throughout.

Don't cheap out on your door. That's a reminder for me :D

3

carlbernsen t1_jee6v9s wrote

It is obvious that you need to replace the rubber draught strip, yes.
And yet the problem has persisted for at least 6 months and 3 seasons.
If you don’t replace the draught strip how will you know if it needs anything more?

1

frias0 t1_jee7b23 wrote

Replying to ApparentlyABear (#2,485,585)

Isn't this how it's supposed to be? I don't have super much experience, so an honest question.

In all places I've lived (in Sweden) you have incoming air from an adjustable vent above or below windows, or maybe somewhere else, like the ceiling. If you don't have a vent, then it's random cracks like OP (though never this big :p)

Then you have outgoing vents in bathrooms, toilets, and maybe kitchen.

The negative pressure keeps foul air from spreading from these rooms, and fresh air constantly being replenished.

If you don't have this negative pressure, either if it's by "self draft" , or by fans on the roof, how to you get circulation? In the extreme: how do you get fresh oxygen?

2

justingod99 t1_jeea3et wrote

Replying to The_Bogan_Blacksmith (#2,498,159)

$20 max…35’ of standard duty rope caulk is under $3 at Walmart. $6 for 15’ of weaterstrip seal for edges.

Funny thing is these new ones are dirt cheap and will last longer and resist cracking unlike the older more expensive “nail-in” rubber seams.

1

Raul_McCai t1_jeep52l wrote

live with it - - - or replace the door and frame. And get a good one. That looks like Builder-grade garbage.
You can weatherstrip that til you are blue I rather suspect that it's a lost cause.

2