Unless
you have a brand new home, your door
may have fallen out of alignment.
Take the time necessary to make
certain your door fits straight and
true before you begin
weatherproofing. (This extra step
will also save on weatherproofing
material!) Start by evening out the
gaps around the door. Reset and shim
the hinges (if necessary) to even
out the gaps. Keep in mind that if
you plan to attach a new door bottom
with a drip edge, you may have to
plane the bottom of the door
slightly. Then, of course, you'll
want to make certain the strike
plate and latches are in alignment.
SKILL
SCALE Easy
TIME
REQUIRED
Weatherproofing
your door should take 35 to 60
minutes.
Install
metal tension strips next to the
door stops at the point where your
door contacts the stops when closed.
Use a putty knife to pry out the
tension strips far enough so that it
creates a good seal when the door is
closed.
Add
an aluminum or vinyl door jamb
weatherstrip to the edge of the door
stop on the external side
Attach
a new bristle sweep to the bottom of
the door. Here's an option: You may
prefer to attach a new door bottom
with an integral sweep on the inside
and drip edge on the outside. This
often requires that you adjust your
threshold height, and/or slightly
plane the bottom of your door. If
you plane the door, make sure to
seal the wood.
Fix
any cracks in door panels or around
light panels with wood filler or
caulk.