skip to main content

weatherstripping on double wood entry doors

9 years ago

My house is 3 yrs old. We have lovely double mahogany entry doors which have never provided a good seal where they meet. In the winter, we usually use a side door so I can keep multi-folded paper towels in the crack to keep the cold air out. We tried adding the weatherstripping that you buy at Lowes, but it looked bad and had to be removed after the first season and left ugly stickiness behind.

Surely there has to be a better weatherstripping? I think the biggest "problem" (for me) is that it's a double door, or maybe I'm over thinking things?

Any ideas for a solution?
Thank you!
Tracey

Featured Answer

snoonyb

9 years ago

One of these should have been installed by the builder;
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=t+astragal+double+door+weatherstrip&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

millworkman
9 years ago
A picture may help. Generally there should be an Astragal between the doors but from here we can't tell without a picture.
Related Discussions
Front Door? Single or Double door?
Q
Comments (24)
I like the 8 foot doors in double doors better than a single with sidelights unless the single is quite wide as per millworkman's suggestion (very tall narrow doors can look off). Our ceilings in the entry are 12 feet so I am glad we replaced that 6 foot 8 inch door in our house prior to our addition with this taller one. The 8 foot doors looks so much better with tall ceilings. We have a fiberglass door that looks like wood. It was quite thermal, so not sure all double doors are created equal in terms of energy rating (we are in Canada and the door is north facing so we paid attention to energy ratings). Here is our door in our house under construction. I love the glass as it lets in nice light. Carol
...See More
Entrance door double vs single with glass on the sides?
Q
Comments (13)
Practical issue with double doors that caused us to do a single door in our project: One leverset is a dummy. We found that with the dummy lever we had on our last house that people would not know which one was the operating door and accidentally bend the lever down even though it was "fixed". It would move a bit though and so I constantly had to be resetting the lever back to the horizontal position. We opted for a single wide (42") front door in our current project. This should be plenty wide enough for even chunky pieces of furniture.
...See More
Replacing an entry door... slab only... how to get weathertight?
Q
Comments (2)
Hi. I had a hard time finding the product I wanted and ended up ordering online from Kilian Hardware. I wanted head and sill weatherstrip in a metal. What I found with them was the v-shaped spring bronze weatherstripping in several widths to match your door thickness. It also can be ordered by length, like a 3 foot long strip of it, or whatever. I have their phone number and email address, but not their location. I got the impression they were up north though. Look at their website, link given below. And the phone is 215-247-0945 and email is hardware@kilianhardware.com Here is a link that might be useful: Kilian Hardware
...See More
I need flooring ideas for a family room that doubles as entry
Q
Comments (8)
Most finish on site hardwood can be done to match your other floor and IMO the best choice put mats outside the door and inside do you have a coat closet there and a boot rack ? If not maybe add both to the garge side so shoes would be off before entry and I just wipe my dogs feet before we get inside he almost picks his feet up before I even start. IMO if you don’t want that then go with a vinyl that looks like stone instead I would also suggest you post a couple of pics of the space
...See More
tracey_b
Original Author
9 years ago
I'll post a picture soon. There IS weatherstripping, but it's simply not adequate. It seems to me the doors should meet much closer together. Someone pushed a thick envelop into the gap, and it came all the way through into the house--I think it should fit tighter than than. Also, there is a gap at the top and bottom where you can actually see daylight.

Thanks!
snoonyb
9 years ago
Please include a picture of the lock, from the edge, because what you are describing, as not completely closing, may be an adjustment or a matter of not being closed completely, allowing the bolt to fully engage.
sombreuil_mongrel
9 years ago
On a lot of newer double door units, the hinges are adjustable; perhaps the doors can be brought closer together through such adjustments. Otherwise, you will need to manually adjust the margins by shimming the hinges. Such large gaps are not bridge-able with weatherstripping.
Pieces of self-adhesive v-shaped spring bronze weatherstripping may be just the thing, since they can be opened to span a good sized gap; but if an envelope will fit, that's pretty bad.
Casey
tracey_b
Original Author
9 years ago
I really want to post the pics I took of the doors to see if anyone can help, but for the life of me, I cannot get my Mac to copy the code from Photobucket onto this website. I never had a problem before on PCs (I'm a recent convert to Mac, and this is my first need to post a pic from it).

In studying my doors / weatherstripping. It appears that if the weatherstripping were "thicker", I wouldn't be having a problem. I think what's on the door is probably what came with it, though....and they weren't cheap doors (Mahogany solid wood, double doors-- 5' x 8').

I'll keep trying, but meanwhile, thanks.
tena_re
8 years ago
We are fixing to move into our new home and noticed these gaps in our front entry double doors and rear entry double doors, (top and bottom) Surely these gaps aren't supposed to be here. How can we fix this.
millworkman
8 years ago
Missing what they call "Schlegel Pads"

Here is a link that might be useful: Schlegel Pads

Related Stories

ENTRYWAYS Dutch Doors: Double-Duty Entryways

By Scheer & Co. Interior Design

Today's stylish Dutch doors offer light, breeze, and two levels of security

MODERN HOMES Houzz TV: Seattle Family Almost Doubles Its Space Without Adding On

By Caela McKeever

See how 2 work-from-home architects design and build an adaptable space for their family and business

LAUNDRY ROOMS Double-Duty Savvy: 10 Supersmart Laundry Room Combos

By Becky Harris

Throw some extra function in along with the fabric softener to spin your laundry room into mutitasking mode

Double Sinks: A Relationship Saver

By Becky Harris

RED Red Doors Spice Up Home Fronts

By Living Small: City & Small Space Consulting

Quaint or contemporary, a red door can be a key ingredient in creating a warm, welcoming entry to your home

DOORS Curb Appeal: The Front Door

By Natalie Myers

A Great Entry Lets Your Style Come Through

ENTRYWAYS No Entryway? Create the Illusion of One

By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

Create the feeling of an entry hall even when your door opens straight into the living room. Here are 12 tricks to try

GARDENING GUIDES 9 Garden Gates That Hinge on Charm

By Laura Gaskill

Stacked stone, rustic wood and fragrant blooms help beckon the eye to these inviting entries

ENTRYWAYS How to Make the Most of Your Entry (No Coat Closet Required)

By Janell Beals - House of Fifty

A well-designed foyer offers storage, seating and other features to help you get out the door on time and looking good

CONTEMPORARY HOMES Houzz Tour: Strong, Modern Lines Stand Up to the Trees

By Mary Jo Bowling

Modernism takes kindly to the New York woods, with double-height ceilings for openness and a burbling creek for music

Sponsored

VA Exteriors, LLC

More Discussions

Is my cast iron tub's porcelain repairable?

10

Exterior Renovation

0

What could be the cause of this glass crack in a window?

1

Wallpaper install problems!

3

Permit necessary?

2