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Every homeowner is looking for ways to save money on electricity bills and play their role in protecting the environment, especially now that energy efficiency has become a vital topic worldwide. In many cases, every new home is built based on a code to meet energy efficiency needs. But where does that leave homeowners with older homes?
If you fall in this category, you can add insulation and install new windows to improve the energy efficiency of your home and cut the power costs. However, they can only do too much.
Replacing weatherstripping on all your exterior doors can take your energy efficiency to the next level. It can help prevent drafts and use too much heating and cooling to fight against their effects.
How Often Should You Check and Change Your Home’s Weather Stripping?
Given how simple it is to inspect weather stripping, you can comfortably do it multiple times a year. If not, make sure you do it every autumn when temperatures start dropping, and you need to keep warm for the upcoming winter and in spring when it starts getting hot again.
You do not have to wait until you start recording noticeable drafts making their way into your house to conduct the inspection. You can feel around the door to identify any air leaks.
If you can feel any temperatures from outside coming inside or inside temperatures leaking to the outside, it is time for you to find a replacement. Additionally, you may need to install a replacement if you start recording high energy bills from nowhere.
Another sign that your weather stripping needs changing is a lack of temperature differences when you adjust the temperature on your thermostat. In some cases, you may feel unwanted moisture on the walls surrounding the insulation in your home.
Since the weather stripping below your door experiences more wear and tear, you should have it changed more often than the weather stripping on other parts.
Where Can You Install Weather Stripping?
You should install weather stripping on any part of your home that allows air from inside your house to leak to the outside or vice versa. If your exterior doors and windows leak, you can install weather stripping around them to prevent energy loss and keep your utility bills low.
Your garage door is another part where you can install weather stripping as it contributes to energy loss. To scan for areas that need weather stripping, check if it has lost its grip. You can also feel for any differences in temperature between the interior and exterior.
How Can You Replace Weather Stripping?
Weatherstripping comes in different types. Therefore, you should always start by cutting off a small part of the previously installed backer rod weatherstripping and bringing it with you when shopping for the replacement to ensure that you find a compatible replacement. In most cases, you will find weatherstripping with an umbrella-shaped ridge that wedges itself into a kerf in the door frame.
The kerf is simply a small groove cut into the door frame by the table saw blade. All you have to do is pull out the old stripping to remove it. To install the new stripping, you should cut it to length and push it back into the groove.
Another type of weatherstripping comes in the form of a piece of foam attached to an adhesive backing. The best part about this type is that it is universal since its design does not target any specific door style. On the downside, the design shortcomings mean that it does not cover all gaps or eliminate drafts.
It will work perfectly as a quick fix solution as you wait to replace it with a more effective solution. Remember that you may need a new door if you currently have one that has aged significantly.
Energy efficiency and environmental conservation have become hot topics, and weather stripping can help you cut the energy costs in your home. It would help if you inspected your current weather stripping every few times a year.
Ideally, it would be best if you changed the stripping in your home every spring and autumn when the temperatures drop and increase, respectively. If not, always change it when you feel any drafts entering your home. The installation method varies depending on the type.