How to Seal Drafty Entry Doors

Drafts are the silent thieves of home comfort, quietly stealing your climate-controlled air and letting the elements seep in. An entry door is your home's primary shield, but over time, the materials that provide that seal—the flexible strips along the jambs and the sweep at the bottom—inevitably degrade, crack, or compress. Fixing a drafty door is one of the most high-impact, low-cost projects you can undertake. When done well, you should feel a firm resistance as the door closes against a continuous seal, and you should see absolutely no light bleeding through the edges when you stand inside with the lights off during the day. It transforms a house from feeling breezy and porous to feeling solid and secure.

  1. Strip and Clean the Frame. Carefully pull away the existing weatherstripping from the door jambs using a putty knife if necessary. Ensure the door frame surface is completely clean and free of old adhesive residue or paint chips to allow the new seal to bond properly.
  2. Cut Strips to Exact Length. Measure the length of your side jambs and the top header. Use heavy-duty shears to cut your V-strip or compression weatherstripping to these exact lengths.
  3. Seal the Door Sides. Peel the backing off the adhesive strip and press it firmly into the door jamb where the door makes contact when closed. Work from the top down, keeping the strip straight and consistent along the length of the frame.
  4. Seal the Top Header. Repeat the installation process for the top door frame. Ensure the top piece meets the side pieces snugly at the corners to eliminate any gaps where the vertical and horizontal planes intersect.
  5. Install the Door Sweep. Unscrew the old sweep from the bottom interior face of the door. Measure the door width and cut the new sweep to fit, then screw it into place so the rubber fin just barely brushes against the threshold.
  6. Tighten the Strike Plate. If the door still rattles or feels loose after sealing, loosen the screws on the strike plate and shift it slightly toward the interior of the house. This forces the door to pull tighter against the new weatherstripping when latched.