Guide · Home care
Doors and Weatherstripping
A friendly, practical guide to caring for doors, hinges and latches, fixing sticking doors, and keeping drafts out with weatherstripping and door sweeps.
Where to start
- Exterior door won’t close or lock?
This one is urgent. See if a door won’t close, lock or latch.
- Feeling a draft?
Try the steps in finding drafts.
- Want simple habits for every door?
Work through the doors and weatherstripping checklist.
The short version
Doors get used dozens of times a day, and a little care keeps them closing smoothly and locking securely.
Close doors gently, use doorstops, and keep tracks and thresholds free of grit.
If you can see daylight around an exterior door, worn weatherstripping or a sweep may be letting drafts in.
Share sticking, sagging or broken locks in writing, and never prop fire-rated doors open.
Door rules differ from place to place, so we’d gently encourage a quick look at the rules where your home is. If you ever have questions, we would love to help.
Four simple rules
- 1Close doors gently
Slamming loosens hinges, cracks frames and knocks latches out of line.
- 2Keep latches catching
Every exterior door should close fully and lock without a push or a lift.
- 3Seal out the weather
Worn weatherstripping and door sweeps let in drafts, water and pests.
- 4Report problems early
Share sticking, sagging, broken locks or damaged frames in writing.
Doors and weatherstripping checklist
From the guide’s own checklist. Tick each one as you go. Your ticks stay on this device. These are examples; your home may need others.
All done. Snug, quiet and safe, one door at a time.
If a door won’t close, lock or latch
- If an exterior door won’t close or lock, let whoever handles repairs know right away. This one is urgent.
- If a door won’t open and it’s your way out, use another exit and share it right away.
- Look for the simple things: a rug caught underneath, something in the track or a latch plate that has worked loose.
- Take a photo or short video of the problem, including the latch and the gap around the door.
- Share it in writing, with which door and what you noticed.
You did exactly the right thing by sharing it.
Finding drafts
- On a cool, windy day, slowly move the back of your hand around the edges of a closed exterior door. A draft feels like a thin stream of cold air.
- At night, with a light on inside and the outside dark, look for light showing around the edges of the door.
- Check the bottom of the door. A gap at the threshold is one of the most common spots for air, water and bugs to get in.
Close an exterior door on a sheet of paper. If the paper slides out with no resistance, the weatherstripping isn’t sealing there.
Guides that go well with this one
Things this guide mentions
This guide mentions a little lubricant made for hinges, plus door sweeps and weatherstripping. The right sweep or strip depends on the door, so it’s best to let whoever handles repairs choose and install it. These are examples only. Please pick what fits your home and follow the maker’s instructions.
Like it on paper?
The printable checklist for this guide is fillable, with a screen version and an ink saver print version. Keep it on your phone or pin it to the fridge.
How much do you remember?
4 quick questions from this guide, with a one line why for each. Totally optional, no sign in, and your answers are never saved.
Go deeper with The Perfect Efficient Home
A plain, honest guide for residents and owners who want to waste less energy and water and keep bills easier to live with, without giving up comfort.
Keep the full guide handy
The PDF has everything: everyday habits, what to do when something goes wrong, common myths, helpful resources and plenty of real-world tips. Print it, save it or share it with anyone who could use it.
Download the PDFTake it with you
- Bunklow Home Guide 066: Interior Door Hinge Pin Lubrication and Alignment AdjustmentsA printable Bunklow guide to interior door hinge pin lubrication and alignment adjustments: plain steps, how often to check, and when to call a pro.See it in the shop
More guides
This guide shares general information to help you, and is not legal, security or fire-code advice. Please call a qualified professional for repairs. Bunklow does not inspect or repair doors.