Top Reasons Why You Should Not Use Weather Stripping

We all know that draught proofing is a great idea.  

It is Energy Saving: Helps to seal door and window gaps, which can prevent warm or cool air from leaking out and reduce energy consumption. By reducing the amount of energy needed to maintain a comfortable temperature, weather stripping can save you money on your utility bills.

It Reduces Noise: Weather stripping doesn’t just prevent air leaks, but it can also reduce the amount of noise that enters or escapes your home. This is particularly beneficial if you live in a noisy area.

It Improves Comfort: By preventing drafts, weather stripping can help maintain a consistent temperature and make your home more comfortable. This is especially important during extreme weather conditions, as it can help keep your home warm during the winter or cool during the summer

Why Shouldn’t You? 

Many people use inexpensive weather stripping as a perimeter seal for your doors (that is for the sides and the top of your doors).  It normally comes in a roll and is shaped like the letter ‘P’. 

So here are three reasons why you should not install weather stripping:

1. Weather stripping gets crushed between the face of the door and the jam, so it is not going to last for very long.
2. Weather stripping is only useful with a consistent variance between the door and the door jamb of a couple of millimetres. Gaps in doors very rarely have a consist gap around them.  So if you use weather stripping you are going to have a door that is going to be either very difficult to close or you’re still going to end up with gaps where the weather stripping is not thick enough to fill the gap. 
3. No warranty period!  If you are wondering about how long your selected weather stripping solution is going to last, look for a warranty period.  Many weather seals have no warranty period at all. 

So what should I use instead of weather stripping?

That is a good question and the answer depends upon the longevity that you are looking for with your door perimeter seals.  

For up to 2 years, take a look at EMV Slim Line Seals. 

It’s also inexpensive, but it just works. Instead of getting crushed by the door, EMV fits between the edge of the door and the jam, and that means that the door is always easy to close and doesn’t need to be pushed hard to close. 

EMV fits in the door jamb, and when you close the door, it presses up on that and seals the perimeter of your door. It can fill a variable gap from 2mm to 7mm. EMV comes in white, brown, and clear. There is 5.5 metres of EMV in a packet, and that’s enough to draught proof a single door. So enjoy energy savings, improved comfort and reduced noise at a cost effective price.  Get your EMV Slim Line Seals today.

For a longer term solution, take a look at Draught Dodgers. 

Draught dodger perimeter door seals are more expensive that temporary solutions, but they are designed to last the life of your door.  Draught Dodgers are built to withstand all weather conditions.  For particularly exposed areas, select the powder coated aluminium variant rather than the raw timber variant. 

Draught Dodgers fit onto the face of the door jamb, so they are not crushed.  They are fitted to just touch the door when it is closed.  It comes with a specific width packer (plus installation videos) that make it fool proof to install.  

One of their great features is their ability to adapt to variable gaps in doors, including warped doors and those that change in size between seasons or shift from side to side as your home’s foundations move. 

People Also Ask:

⇒ Where can I learn more about this from an industry expert? 

ecoMaster has been working in the energy efficiency / retrofit arena for over 20 years.  During that time we learnt an enormous amount about diagnosing issues, distinctions on various products as well as developing the best installation practices.  We have done the research, so you don’t have to. All that information has now been condensed into a series of ecoMasterClasses.  Click here to gain access.

⇒ What is weather stripping for doors?

Weather stripping is a material that is used to seal the gap between the door and the door frame to prevent air leakage, dust, insects, noise, and moisture from entering the room. It is usually made of squashy self-adhesive foam and is stuck in the door jamb. 

Done well, weather stripping can significantly improve energy efficiency and reduce utility bills by keeping the cold air out during winter and the hot air out during summer. They also help to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature and reduces the workload of heating and cooling systems.

⇒ What types of door weather stripping are there?

here several types of “weather stripping” for doors: 

1. Perimeter seals – for the sides and top of the door
2. Draught excluders – for under the door
3. Tread plates – for the door step (in case it is too low, or not flat)

⇒ What is the best weather stripping for doors?

The best quality materials for weather stripping have been tested for longevity, exposure to ultra violent, extreme heat, extreme cold, conformability and their ability to cover a range of gap sizes.   

If you are not sure and don’t want to waste your money and time testing products, choose a quality business that have tested all their products, have installed these products for years and has deep on the ground experience, have installation videos on each product and can advise you how exactly what you need for your specific situations.  That business would be www.ecoMasterStore.com.au

⇒ How do you install weather stripping? 

ecoMaster provide detailed installation videos on every draught proofing product we sell.  Go to  www.ecoMasterStore.com.au, select the product you require and click on the “How To” tab.  You will find an installation video for every product in our draught proofing range – from door seals to window seals, how to seal a chimney, seal unused floor vents or sealing off gaps and cracks.  

What’s Next?

We hope this article has helped you learn how to use simple ways to save on your utility bill. This in turn will help you on your energy and thermal efficiency retrofit journey to make your home more comfortable all year round, and reduce your costs and carbon emissions.  

Next, explore An Energy Efficient Door is a Beautiful Door.

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