[SuperJETT]

Our outside basement door is old, doesn't fit very well, and lets air in. Since we don't use it much, I figured it was a good candidate to try a new door seal idea I've had for a while.

I did a test 12" area and it came out great so I think I'm going to do the rest the same.

I'll get pics later, but basically I cut a piece of wax paper and put a crease in it. I taped that on the door edge where normal weatherstripping would be, then in the corner of the door frame I laid a small bead of clear silicone. After a night of having the door shut, I opened the door, removed the wax paper, and I have a perfectly shaped silicone door seal.

I haven't had a lot of luck with weatherstripping doors with any longevity, and with our new/old house needed some solution to work on the old doors. I'm planning on doing the outside basement door first, then the top of basement steps door, then maybe the front as long as it goes well.

 

[joecaption]

Some times getting a door to seal better can be as siple as making an adjustment to the strike plate in the jamb. Some have a rectanguler shaped hole where you can use a screw driver to bend it a little to hold the door tighter.
Any box store will have A door seal I like and has worked everytime on any type of door that's sinple to install, it's an white alumium strip with a bulb style seal made into it.
Cut to length, cut with a hack saw, set in place and mark the holes and predrill for the screws so the jamb does not split.
Make sure the door is close and the dead bolt is set before installing to make sure there going to line up.
Sure would look better then silicone.

 

[hammerlane]

I'll get pics later, but basically I cut a piece of wax paper and put a crease in it. I taped that on the door edge where normal weatherstripping would be, then in the corner of the door frame I laid a small bead of clear silicone. After a night of having the door shut, I opened the door, removed the wax paper, and I have a perfectly shaped silicone door seal.

Do post pictures when you get a chance.

 

[SuperJETT]

I disagree with those looking better than silicone. I have maybe a 3/16" bead of clear silicone in the corner of the door frame, that's it. You don't even see it unless you're looking. Our doors have varying gaps due to age/settling, so just trying to adjust a striker has little effect and a single thickness seal would make it too tight in spots but gapped in others.

 

[joecaption]

That why the ones I'm talking about use oval shaped holes for adjustment.
I've worked on all most nothing but 100 plus year old for the past 15 years and of the dozens of these I've installed they always worked.

 

[HomeSealed]

This stuff works/looks great and is very durable. Same seal that you get on a brand new door. I'm interested to see how this silicone looks, but more than that, if the door actually pushes against it to seal, it is going to come loose pretty quickly.
Kudos on the ingenuity though

 

[Gary in WA]

One thing the bulb style and those pictured have in common; they adjust to varying temperature/humidity differences. This is very important to wood exposed to the outdoors, and somewhat to indoor RH. With the wide weather swings, the wood will move- expanding/contracting with the seasons. What is a good fit now may change drastically with the seasonal change. Hence the design of weatherstripping materials. The silicon will not change enough to take up the slack, IMO. I applaud you for thinking outside the box, though, good for you.

Gary

 

[msaeger]

This stuff works/looks great and is very durable. Same seal that you get on a brand new door. I'm interested to see how this silicone looks, but more than that, if the door actually pushes against it to seal, it is going to come loose pretty quickly.
Kudos on the ingenuity though

What is it?

 

[operagost]

What is it?

That weatherstripping is the kind that goes in the kerf, the slot that is normally cut in the outer edge of a door frame or in the bottom of a window sash. Definitely the best way; it lasts for years and is extremely unlikely to come loose.

 

[SuperJETT]

I looked at kerf stripping last night but don't really see a way to put it on our doors? I guess you cut a slit to insert it into?

 

[HomeSealed]

Its Q-lon, and although the picture shows the stuff made to snap into a kerf, they also make it in a retrofit style that gets nailed/screwed on. Some box stores carry it, some don't, but it is the best option bar none.... They also sell that stuff with the little rubber bulbs and other variations, but that stuff is junk.
See the drawing here: http://www.amesbury.com/downloads/pdf/2009_Door_Seal.pdf