Posted on Dec 7, 2023 at 2:02 pm by James T
Very few people think about insulating their front door. Yet, it can be responsible for up to 20% of heat loss in a house. Several factors can make the insulation of the front door insufficient: the bottom of the door, the windows, the mailbox, or a poor seal. But fortunately, there are several solutions to insulate your door and protect yourself from the cold.
Table of Contents
1/Insulate the bottom of the door
This is generally the first place to look if you want to strengthen the insulation of your front door: the gaps between the bottom of the door and the floor. These gaps can form due to moisture and outside temperatures. Several solutions are available to fill these gaps:
- Insulate with a brush seal: it is a bar equipped with brushes along its entire length that can be installed with adhesive or directly screwed onto the bottom of the door;
- Use a door draft stopper: an old solution that our grandmothers already used, the door draft stopper quickly fills the space between the door and the floor.
2/Insulate the sides of the door
It is also possible for cold air to infiltrate the sides of your door. To insulate this space, use special seals for doors and windows that need to be installed along the entire height of the door. This will effectively fill the space between the door and its frame.
Before installing these seals, don’t forget to prepare your door by removing the old seals and other residues that could prevent good adhesion of the new seal.
Furthermore, effective insulation of doors in preparation for winter is a strategy adopted by experienced DIYers to achieve significant savings.
3/Use insulation panels on the door itself
If your door is old and damaged, cold air may pass directly through it. In this case, the best solution would be to stick insulation panels on the door until you can replace it. Cork is an excellent thermal and acoustic insulator. You can stick one or more cork panels on your door and then paint them to blend in with the decor.
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4>Pay attention to mailboxes and pet doors
Some elements can go unnoticed but contribute to poor insulation of your front door. This is the case with built-in mailboxes and pet doors. Make sure they are well insulated and in good condition to avoid heat loss.
5/Use an insulating curtain
Installing an insulating curtain is a simple and effective solution to enhance the thermal insulation of your front door. It can be either a thick and heavy curtain or a thermal curtain specially designed for this purpose.
To make the insulating curtain truly effective, it is important to measure the height you need: measure the distance between the curtain rod and the floor, then add 10 cm for the header and 20 cm for the hem.
6/Review the exterior sealing of the structure
If despite all this, your door still lets in cold air, it is possible that the seal between the wall and the door frame is degraded. In this case, consider replacing the old seal entirely with a new exterior sealing strip. This will permanently solve the insulation problem of your front door.
By following these tips, you can improve the insulation of your front door and protect yourself more effectively from the cold and drafts. Do not hesitate to consult an insulation professional if you need help or additional advice to carry out these works.
