Now that it’s almost winter, it’s time to measure, cut, and apply weatherstripping to your doors and windows to help keep you warm without racking up costly heating bills. Or, if you have them on year-round, it’s time to check and make sure they’re in good shape and replace them if necessary. Did you know that the small cracks and spaces between your windows and doors account for up to 38% of your home’s lost heat? This drastic loss of warmth means you’ll be relying more on your heater, which means a bigger heating bill that could have been avoided if you had just checked and replaced your weatherstripping. Weatherstripping replacement is simply a more energy-efficient and affordable solution to staying warm this winter, and to get the most out of it, you should know when it needs replacing.
As a general rule of thumb, entry door weatherstripping should be replaced every few years. So, if it’s been two or three years since you replaced the weatherstripping on your doors, or you can’t remember the last time you even checked them was, that’s your sign they need to be replaced. However, depending on how much and how often a door is used, you may be changing weatherstrips a lot more often. Obviously, the stripping on doors like your front door that is used every day will wear down quicker and become less efficient at trapping heat in your home, so it’ll need replacing once or twice a year.
Even though some doors may not be used all that much during certain seasons, you should still check the stripping on each before winter and again before spring. Inspecting entry door weatherstripping is hardly a demanding task, and if you know what to look for, you can check all the doors in your home in a few minutes.
The first thing to do when inspecting weatherstripping replacement is to look for any missing chunks or signs of damage – both are obvious signs that the striping needs to be replaced. But things aren’t always that apparent. To catch what you may have missed, you should close the door and see if any light shines through. The more light shining through, the more you should prioritize replacing the striping. If you’re still unsure, or just want to be very thorough, you can light a candle, set it by the doorframe, and watch for any fluttering smoke. If you don’t feel comfortable having an open flame right next to your door, we recommend you try sliding a dollar bill or piece of paper under the door and seeing how easy it is to maneuver from one side to the other. The easier it is, the more likely your entry door weatherstripping should be replaced.
Weatherstripping replacement are also one of those things home buyers never remember to check on and replace after they’ve moved in, so if you’ve recently bought a home, you’ll likely want to have the weatherstrips replaced.
Sometimes it’s the door itself that’s the issue, and no weatherstripping in the world can make it better at trapping heat. If you’re in need of beautiful, high-quality exterior doors that effectively keep in the hot air in the winter and cold air in the summer, take a look at what Trimlite has to offer today!
