Door bottoms can be your biggest asset in fighting weatherization when it comes to doors.   Door bottoms can help your customers create a positive seal on the threshold when a door is closed.  This will help eliminate unwanted air infiltration into and out of the home or office.   Door bottoms can also be accompanied by weather-stripping if heat transfer is still occurring after mounting the door bottom.

A big advantage of installing door bottoms is they will help stop water from destroying your customer’s wood door.  Without any protection on the bottom of wooden doors water has the capability of being absorbed from the bottom up.  The result is the door rotting from the inside out without any major warning signs until it is too late and then the door will need to be replaced.   To prevent your customer’s door rotting in the future, apply a door bottom to help stop and redirect unwanted water away from the bottom of the wooden door.     The combination of a door bottom to prevent rotting and weather-stripping to add to the sealing is a win-win for your customers.

You can and should use weatherstripping in your home to seal any air leaks around windows and doors. To determine how much weatherstripping you will need, add the perimeters of all windows and doors to be weather stripped, and then add 5%–10% to accommodate any possible waste. Also you need to consider that weatherstripping is available in various configurations and styles depending on the application. Choosing the correct type of weatherstripping for the application will insure proper air sealing and energy savings.

Before applying weatherstripping in an existing home, you need to detect any and all air leaks and assess ventilation requirements so proper indoor air quality is achieved.

You should always choose a type of weatherstripping that will withstand the friction, exposure to weather, temperature changes, and the wear and tear associated with its location. As an example, weatherstripping applied to a door bottom could drag on carpet and its effectiveness could deteriorate over time. Another example is Weatherstripping installed around a window sash. In this application the weatherstripping must accommodate the sliding of panes—up and down, sideways, or out. The weatherstripping you choose should seal well when the door or window is closed while allowing it to open and operate freely.

Choose an appropriate weatherstripping product for each specific application. Felt and open-cell foams tend to be inexpensive, but may require frequent replacement. However, the ease of applying these materials can make them practical in low traffic areas. Vinyl and other plastic compounds are slightly more expensive, but hold up well and resist moisture. You can use more than one type of weatherstripping to seal an irregularly shaped space. Also take durability into account when comparing costs.