Leaky doors are annoying. Drafts get in, the rooms cool down and the need for heating increases. However, there are various ways of sealing doors and preventing drafts from entering through gaps and cracks. Here’s how to do it quickly and easily.
Sealed doors not only keep cool drafts out, but also dust and dirt. Leaky specimens, however, do not. In old buildings in particular, there are numerous gaps and cracks on the doors, so that they are not tight. Not only front doors are affected, but also interior doors. The former should be given priority when reworking because colder air can penetrate from the outside. Drafts cool down the heated housing. Anyone who shivers turns up the heating as a result. This, in turn, increases heating costs. In addition, noise penetrates better through leaky doors.
You can recognize leaking doors by cool drafts. You can detect small leaks by standing in front of the closed door with a candle or a lighter. If the flame flickers, there are leaks. Once the weak points have been identified, you can improve the affected doors. Various options are available to you for this.
Gaps under the door can be closed with door sealing rails. There are different models for uneven floors such as tiles, but also for smooth floors such as parquet or laminate. These seals are equipped with floor brushes. These are fine brushes that can keep the cold out for the most part. The structure glides smoothly over the floor and is therefore a safe solution. You can choose between models for writing or sticking. This type of door seal is only available for the bottom edges, if you want to touch up doors all around, choose one of the following methods.
Small gaps and cracks can be repaired with rubber seals. They can reduce heat loss and provide good soundproofing. As a rule, they are attached to the door rabbet. In some cases, the practical seals can be fitted around the door. The disadvantage of rubber seals is that they can wear out more quickly. They can be attached precisely and reliably stop drafts.
Foam seals are placed on the door rabbet. They work like rubber gaskets, just made of a different material and provide more mass to fill larger gaps. You can choose between different colors to match the seals to the color of the door.
Textile draft excluders work in a similar way to door sealing rails. Unlike the rails, however, they are not attached to the door, but simply placed in front of the gap to prevent cool air from entering.
This article contains so-called affiliate links. There is more information here.