Winter is coming soon and the doors of your home can be one of the biggest sources of drafts and energy loss during the long cold days and nights! Be prepared for winter weather and ensure your doors are weatherized to make your home more energy efficient and ready for cold winter ahead.
By inspecting your door, replacing old weather stripping and by performing routine maintenance, you can prevent problems before they start. Here’s what you need to know.
There are several ways to tell if your entrance and patio doors are drafty. One common way to tell if your doors are drafty is to place a lit candle near the seams between the door and the frame on a breezy day. Make sure you check all around the door: top, bottom and sides. If the flame bends or bobs with the wind, then this is a clear sign that your patio doors are drafty.
You may also be able to detect drafts by hanging sheers along a curtain rod above the doors. If the sheers sway or move with the breeze, then your doors are allowing drafts into your home.
Weatherstripping can deteriorate with time. When it’s old, it may crack or start to fall off. Old weatherstripping can often be easily replaced. Some can simply be peeled off and replaced with new from the hardware store or home center. Other weatherstripping may be more involved to replace, but can usually be accomplished if you’re handy with some simple tools.
Weatherstripping is often made of foam or rubber strips, of certain sizes, depending on the gaps that need to be filled in. If necessary, cut down the weatherstripping to the right size before installing it. Poorly fitting weatherstripping can cause more problems than they fix.
Old doors have a habit of gathering condensation when the air inside is warm and humid, and the air outside is cold and dry. This condensation can cause the patio door frame or even the door itself to start to rot and become unstable. A good coat of paint or varnish can help seal your door from moisture and protect it from premature rot. It cannot, however, fix rot if it’s already begun. Sealing in rot can make matters worse.
Inspect the patio door, frame and all, to determine whether the paint or finish is in good condition. If the stain or finish is peeling, sand it down and repaint or refinish. If you’re not able to tell whether the old stain needs to be replaced, try spraying the wood with water. If the wood absorbs the water, it’s time to re-stain. If the water beads up and rolls off the stain, it’s intact.
You’ll be able to tell if your door needs replacement if:
Patio doors from Renewal by Andersen of Long Island are made from energy efficient, high quality materials like low-E4 glass. They’re easy to maintain and durable as well.
Winter is a time when it’s important to have the most energy efficient doors and windows possible. If your doors need replacing, now is the time to make that happen. Contact Renewal by Andersen of Long Island at (866) 609-5033, or use the short form on this page to get started with your door replacement project today.
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