When you turn the lock on your front door each night, you’re keeping strangers out, but if your door is old or ill-fitting, you may be letting something in (or out) without your knowledge. What’s that unknown something? Energy. When exterior doors don’t fit or work well, they can be responsible for air leakage as well as energy loss if they’re poorly insulated. If that’s the case, it’s time to repair that front door, or if the repairs are substantial, you may want to consider replacing that door.
Cracks and holes in a door are obvious, but often a deterioriated or poorly-fitting door has indicators that aren’t so easy to spot. Here are some ways you can tell if your front door (or any other exterior door in your home) is wasting energy.
– Light a candle and pass it slowly around the entire outline of the door. If at any point the candle flame flickers, there’s probably air coming in at that spot. That means your furnace has to work harder in the winter, and your A/C goes on extra duty in the summer. it also means the area nearest the door is drafty, which can be uncomfortable.
– The touch test. On unusually cold or hot days, lay your hand on the inside of the door. If it feels closer to the outside temperature than that of the room, that’s a giveaway that it’s poorly insulated, which means its costing energy.
– Light up. You can do this during the day if your door is in a room you can darken; if not, try this at night with a helper outside shining a flash light. If you can see light between the door and the frame at any point (including the base), that means the door doesn’t fit snugly in its opening and is wasting energy. If you don’t see any light, you may want to follow up with the candle test because this one only reveals larger openings; the candle test will identify smaller ones.
– Inspect the weatherstripping. Old or cheap weatherstripping can crack and also compress with use, so check yours. If it’s flat or cracked in places, it’s time to replace it. Weatherstripping provides an extra seal against air infiltration, but if it’s flat or cracked it may be worse than none at all because the door is now hitting an uneven surface.
– Give your door sweep the slip. Take a sheet of paper and attempt to slide it between the sill and the door bottom. If it passes under the door, the sweep needs to be replaced or adjusted. The door sweep should fit snugly against the sill.
– Coming unhinged? Over time hinge screws can come loose, which affects how snugly the door fits as well as the ease in opening and closing it. Check your door hinges, and screw down any loose hinge plates. Also check to make sure the hinge plates aren’t bent. If they are, replace them.
– Problems opening and shutting? With a wood door, this is sometimes due to swelling from moisture. You’ll know that’s the case it if only happens at certain times of the year or during rainy weather. Consider switching out wood doors for fiberglass or other materials which won’t be affected by the weather. But sticking door problems can also be due to other causes, such as warping. If you’re having trouble with a door that’s hard to shut or open, have it looked at by a professional door contractor.
The bottom line? A door that leaks air and doesn’t fit well in its opening is costing you every time you write a check to pay your gas and electric bill. If your exterior doors are letting your hard-earned money out of your home, you may be able to make some repairs and adjustments to help, or it may be time to replace them.
Window Outfitters, Inc. installs quality exterior doors in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area. We offer a wide range of materials from manufacturers such as Pella and ProVia.
Window Outfitters is a premier Window Replacement, doors, siding contractor and installer. As Contractor in the St Paul, Minneapolis, (Twin Cities) Minnesota (MN) metro, we proudly serve, but are not limited to, the following areas: Minneapolis Energy Efficient Vinyl Windows, Replacement Window Contractors Minnesota, Burnsville, Apple Valley, Lakeville, Savage, Bloomington, Edina, Richfield, Eagan, St Paul, Hastings, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Farmington MN, Chaska, Shakopee, Chanhassen, Victoria, Mendota Heights Anderson Windows Minneapolis, Marvin Windows Minneapolis.
