The season of stopping drafty doors is in full swing. If you live anywhere that gets windy and cold in the winter, and you live in an older home without extensive insulation, you will be feeling that unmistakable chilly breeze that comes in from the gap under and around your front door. You know the one, it gives your goose pimples and bumps up your energy bill... Not ideal.
Fortunately, you can fix drafty doors pretty easily. Whilst a door draft stopper can prevent cold air from traveling through your home, there are more things that you can do to help keep the warm air confined to one space. It is, fortunately, one of those common home repairs well within reach, even for a complete beginner.
5 ways to stop drafty doors fast
Of course, ideally, you would insulate your door to get rid of the cold drafts once and for all. That's not always possible, however, especially for people who live in rental homes, or those who don't have the budget for professional insulation.
We spoke to a handful of household experts for their advice on how to stop air leaks around doors – without any specialist equipment. These quick fixes will make the perfect temporary solution to drafty doors while there's no reason why you can't use them all the time.
1. Use foam tape
Two words: foam tape. Foam tape, available from Amazon, is cheap and easy to apply and really works as a quick fix for air leaks around doors. Volodymyr Barabakh, the Co-Founder and Project Director of residential building contractors Structural Beam, recommends applying foam tape 'to either the edge of the door or the door frame.' The reason foam tape is so good, he explains, is that 'foam tape is thick enough, and the material in it is insulative enough, to significantly reduce the amount of heat that is lost through ill-fitting doors.'
You won't have trouble finding this easy-to-apply insulating material, either; it 'can be purchased from pretty much any home store for as little as a couple of dollars per foot.' What we really like about this solution is that it's self-adhesive, so you don't have to worry about messing around with glue.
2. Invest in draft excluders
If the idea of DIY anything puts you off completely, then just get a draught excluder. Draught excluders can be an effective, immediate solution for drafty doors, but some are better than others, and you will have to move it out of the way every time you want to open the door.
Filled with weighted ceramic beads, this breeze blocker ticks all our boxes. It looks lovely, it has two handles for easy storing and it's machine washable. It's wrapped in a wool blend cover with a classic Herringbone pattern and it comes in a range of colors. Better yet, you can choose from three different lengths.
Does it get any more luxurious than this sheepskin excluder from The White Company? Not only will it look the part, but it's super durable and soft, and it'll definitely keep those drafts out. It works well with neutral decor schemes, and a matching doorstop is available, too.
Use this double-sided door draft stopper if your home is seriously drafty. It slides underneath your door so that both sides are shielded from cold air, meaning you needn't buy two door draft stoppers for one gappy door. It comes in several sizes and patterns to match your decor. It's even machine washable.
3. Install a door sweep
If you want a similar but less annoying solution, consider installing a door sweep. Jordan Fulmer, an expert in home renovation and house flipping at Momentum Property Solutions, explains that 'homeowners can seal the bottom of their door by installing a door sweep with flexible tabs that press against the floor and prevent the intrusion of air. There is a variety of options available for door sweeps, including sweeps that are installed with screws and those that slip onto the bottom edge of the door.'
4. Check door threshold covers
David Mason, an interior designer and the owner of The Knobs Company, also points out the importance of 'having the floor even with the threshold or putting in a threshold cover.' Threshold covers or cinch seam covers are available from Amazon and can at least temporarily resolve the issue of an uneven floor that's causing the draft gap under your door. Ultimately, though, evening out the floor may be a better long-term option.
5. Install a draft snake
Mason has another solution for drafty doors – installing 'a draft snake along the bottom of the door. This can be made of foam or flexible insulation that you wrap around the bottom edge of the door.' As far as home insulation options go, this is not the best-looking solution, but it will do the job if it's urgent.
What prevents air from leaking around windows and doors?
What about a situation where you have a freak weather episode in an otherwise warm-climate area? You may not want or need to mess about with semi-permanent fixtures to your door. Justin Havre, a home improvement expert at Justin Havre & Associates Real Estate, has a genius solution: 'If it's just a cold front blowing through a warm climate area, a rolled-up towel placed tightly beneath the door should suffice.' In fact, any sheet of dense fabric, rolled up, will qualify as a temporary draft excluder, and will cost you exactly nothing.
If you are feeling a bit crafty, you could make your own heavy-duty draft excluder. You will need a robust cloth (think thick cotton or even an old potato sack) and grain, such as dried peas or beans. If you have a sewing machine, sew together a long sack, fill it with the grain, and sew up. Voila, your hand-made drafty door solution. Note that some of these solutions may help with drafty windows also. It depends on the extent of the problem and on how much budget/time you have.
