Automatic Weather Door Seal

I bought a door draft excluder. The same sort of thing as this: Just a moment...Different make. Same thing.

So, I’m measuring up, cut it, and am ready to screw it in position. Then I see a problem.

There’s such a large gap between the bottom of the door and the floor (ie. sill) that the holes I drill for the securing screws would be within 1 or 2 mm from the bottom edge of the door. It’ll fall off the first time the dog stands on it.

If I raise it a few mm, an amount that I think the securing screws need to hold the thing properly, the bottom of the rubber hangs in mid-air. The wind will whistle through the gap.

I see two solutions:

a) Make the door longer (ie. remove the door, add (ie screw) a strip of timber across the lower edge of the door, fill, sand, paint, and refit the door) then attach the draft excluder.

b) Make the draft excluder larger (ie. buy a strip of aluminium, maybe about 2-3 mm thick having a width such that it extends below the door a suitable distance, and secure it to the bottom of the door) then attach (ie. screw) the draft excluder to the aluminium strip.



I’d prefer not to remove the door. Time is a factor. And the aluminium strip seems so fiddly and I don’t know if you can get such things. Any thoughts?

They are meant too hinge down once the door closes, an the flap hit’s the little wheel on the door frame.
They generally cover a fair size door gap.

Cheers Matt.

That’s the type.

I wasn’t sure about it, at first, because of the spring. But with the piece I cut off, it was easy to position and check things. I placed it against the door. With the rubber touching the sill the mounting holes align right on the lower edge of the door.

And I imagine you’d want the rubber not just touching the sill, but pressing against it. To do that the securing holes are in midair. There's about 23mm between the bottom of the door and the sill. Yeah, large gap.

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Originally Posted by ErrolFlynn

That’s the type.

I wasn’t sure about it, at first, because of the spring. But with the piece I cut off, it was easy to position and check things. I placed it against the door. With the rubber touching the sill the mounting holes align right on the lower edge of the door.

And I imagine you’d want the rubber not just touching the sill, but pressing against it. To do that the securing holes are in midair. There's about 23mm between the bottom of the door and the sill. Yeah, large gap.

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23 mm gap, thats a fair size gap, I would suggest removing the door(Can you knock the hinge pins out?)an gluing screwing a piece of timber about 19mm(that’s a fairly common size on the shelf at Bunnies land, on too the bottom of the door.


Cheers Matt.

That was one of the options I was considering. I'm on the clock. I'm renting the property and must have it done by the weekend. I'd want to paint it. I know it wouldn't fit properly (Warpage of the door etc.). I'd be wanting to use filler, sanding, more filler, undercoat, and topcoat. I know I'd run out of time.

If I can't think of anything else (or get any better suggestions) I'll take a trip out tomorrow and see if I can get some aluminium.

You could put a timber bead on the sill, but at 30mm (23mm gap plus 7mm to seal) it's a trip hazard.

The old door sausages are thicker than 23mm, although not automatic.

Don't know if those stiff hair type ones are long enough to cover your gap.

Other than that, the aluminium strip screwed to the face of the door seems the simplest, cheapest and quickest solution.

Yeah, and if I can't get any there's a sheet metal place nearby. A strip of galv sheet cut to the right size (and maybe with a little 90 deg bend on one edge) might do too.

If removing the door and fixing it properly isn’t an option, I’d look at raising the door sill by 10mm. Fit a 10 or 12mm thick hardwood board on top of the existing sill. Put a bullnose edge on each side and it wont be a trip hazard.

Or buy an aluminium one. Threshold Plates

Bunnings have aluminium strips that could be easily cut and screwed to the bottom of the door. - Just a moment...

Alan...

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Originally Posted by Uncle Al

aluminium strips

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That's exactly what I used. Job done. The presentation is quite acceptable. I had bought a plain aluminium Door Seal (ie. no flashy colouring) and the strip looks like it belongs to the thing. Though, I would have been better adding some wood to the bottom of the door. My experience was more screws that I'd have liked going into Masonite (whatever it is doors are made from).

Thanks for all your suggestions.