UPVC front door insulation

[ach5]

Hi all,

Please could I take suggestions of how to better seal and draughtproof this door in one of my properties. It’s not too bad but you can feel cool air weakly blowing in around the gaps in some circumstances. Elderly person lives there so want it to be ‘air tight’.

Would a foam weatherseal strip work around the ‘grooved’ inside or the door frame, without obstructing but whilst making a seal? To which surface would you apply it?

I also thought about some sort of rubber strip *on the inside*, perhaps attached to the top and left edges of the door so that when it’s closed, it covers the gap - can anyone recommend such a product?

Finally I thought I’d something like the above for the right hand side gap, a flexible rubber flange perhaps that would be permanently affixed to the door & frame and can flex when the door opens?

Thanks all.






As you can see, on the inside, the door and frame are perfectly flush;

[bambam]

Is there a rubber gasket around the frame? Can’t quite tell from the pics. First option may be to replace the rubber gasket - very simple and easy to do.
The rubber compresses over time so changing it over can make the fit much more airtight.
You can get it from Toolstation in a a couple of colours. It’s by Stormguard - https://www.toolstation.com/stormgua...al-seal/p57199

I used it for some windows last year and it made a big difference - the windows are now also much harder to close as the rubber hasn't compressed down.

[ach5]

Hi Bambam, no there’s no rubber gasket on the door or frame. The frame is just hard white UPVC with various grooves as you can see, but it’s all hard plastic.

[DONGinsler]

I have a wooden frame around my door and use metal weather striping that bends up against the door frame to seal. Not sure you can do that due to the open areas of the frame

You can place weather striping on the hinge side in the ruts, but top and knob side you would have to slice at an angle for the door edge to slide over it

Also weather striping for door bottom if none



DON

[hogthrob]

Hi Bambam, no there’s no rubber gasket on the door or frame. The frame is just hard white UPVC with various grooves as you can see, but it’s all hard plastic.

These look like gaskets to me, and are probably what bambam was talking about replacing.

[bambam]

Yes I think so. It’s probably the first thing to try and will make a difference. If needed you can then add other strips as needed - the Stormguard site is quite good to see a range of options are.
I would start with the rubber gaskets though.

[xellos99]

Some of that silicon bead looks like it has come away from the wall / door.
I would remove all that silicon and do it again myself.
Get a silicon gun and the right tube from a builders merchant.
After laying down a fairly even bead you wet your finger with spit and run your finger along the beads to leave a tidy even seal.
The trouble is that the window fitter probably did it in a mad rush since many of them get paid per window / door that they finish in a day.

[MCFastybloke]

Thats a composite door by the looks.

Close the door and from outside push door leaf at its corners, does it move away from the draft stripping, if so on hinge side ? adjust or replace hinges, on opening edge? adjust keeps and strikers.

Small adjustments can make big diffs

[thegreatdogwood]

Thats a composite door by the looks.

Close the door and from outside push door leaf at its corners, does it move away from the draft stripping, if so on hinge side ? adjust or replace hinges, on opening edge? adjust keeps and strikers.

Small adjustments can make big diffs

Spot on. I'd pay attention to the letterbox area as well, making sure the bristles are in good shape and the flaps sit flush on both sides.

[ach5]

These look like gaskets to me, and are probably what bambam was talking about replacing.

Ah, sorry, yes - these are Q-Lon weather strips and I replaced them today. They don’t really make a tight seal as they’re not rubber - they’re a sort of plastic coated thin foam. They’re more ‘weather flaps’ than ‘weather seals’!

[ach5]

Thats a composite door by the looks.

Close the door and from outside push door leaf at its corners, does it move away from the draft stripping, if so on hinge side ? adjust or replace hinges, on opening edge? adjust keeps and strikers.

Small adjustments can make big diffs

You’re right; there is slight movement at the opening edge. I can see that the keeps have adjustment screws and I’ll play with those this weekend to get a tighter fit. That might negate the need for additional foam seals etc.

Thanks all so far.

[Chabsy]

Pull the lock keep in, but be careful not to go too tight as it will be hard to turn the key to get in.