As a St. Charles, IL, homeowner, the last thing you want is for something to seep through your entry door. You want your entry door to protect you and your home from all elements, whether cold air during the wintertime, humidity during the summertime, floodwater, or insects.
When these elements leak through your entry door, it can increase your utility bills. What are some reasons why your entry door is leaking air? The Opal Exteriors team reviews common problems in today’s blog.
Problems With the Door’s Weatherstripping
Weatherstripping is how homeowners can seal the air leaks around windows and doors. Weatherstripping helps protect homes against air and moisture infiltration.
When weatherstripping starts to age, the material becomes compressed, and the strip is no longer strong enough to seal the air or water. One of the signs that the weatherstripping has weakened is when the light seeps through the closed door panel, or water begins to seep inside the home.
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Worn Insulation
Another reason your entry door is leaking air is due to worn insulation. Like other parts of the home, doors can wear down over time from being constantly used. One of the common areas of the entry door that wears down over time is the door’s bottoms.
When door bottoms begin to experience wear and tear, it can cause air to seep through and allows insects and other rodents to creep in. When door bottoms can no longer seal between the panel and the door sill, that is a sign that your door bottom needs to be replaced.
Inadequate Door Installation
There are areas around the bottom corners of the door known as crucial corners that are important for entry doors. When your house begins to settle, the door panel and the door jamb can develop noticeable gaps. Even if the crucial corners were not responsible for air leaking through the entry door, these areas are where many leaks frequently occur.
Even worse, leaks from other locations can travel down the door and begin to drip from the bottom corners due to gravity. One of the methods to determine whether crucial corners are responsible for air leaks is to check the corner pads. Replacing the corner pads is an easy process.
Our doors have best-in-class energy efficiency, durability, and security
Areas Where Air Leaks Happen Around Entry Doors
Some of the problem areas where air leaks are prone to happen around entry doors include:
- Upper corners: Air leaks can happen around upper corners when entry doors begin to sag and fail to contact with weatherstripping properly.
- Door jambs: Air leaks can occur when weatherstripping wears down and the seal starts to break.
- Crucial corners: Leaks can come from bowed, sagging, or cracked weatherstripping.
- Bottom of the door: Damaged seals and thresholds can cause air leaks.
Call Opal Exteriors for an Estimate Today
Are you looking to replace the entry door to your St. Charles, IL home? If so, Opal Exteriors is the best team for your home improvement needs. We have been helping homeowners since 2003 by installing premium exterior doors from the industry’s most trusted manufacturers.
Call one of our offices in St. Charles to schedule an appointment for an estimate, or complete our contact form today.
