Draught foam seal

[timbo343]

Since winter is on it's way, we are starting to find the external UPVC doors in our house are a little bit draughty around the lower and bottom sides. I have purchased some Draught Foam Seal which you put on the frame of the doors/windows and its supposed to help stop the draught.

 

I have put some on the handle side and the bottom of the frame on the external door that faces west. The only thing i'm concerned about is (and this may sound stupid) when i pull the handle up to lock the door, the door is now really hard to shut and lock. Will this over time have an effect on the door closing?

 

Stupid question yes but don't want to effect the door in any way.

 

Thanks.

[Sunnyknight]

Foam seal... there in lies your problem. I'd recommend you remove the foam, which will be a pain in the backside, and replace it with polyfilla.

 

A simple, yet lasting polyfilla will do the job for a good few years. However, if you are weary of that, get some Caulk. That's brilliant and it makes the job look likes it's done by a professional, even if your a rookie. However, it is expensive, so you choose.

[twin--turbo]

The UPVC doors should seal properly without foam draught excluder, it may be that the door and latches needs adjusting for proper closure.

 

Unfortunatly it may be time to risk calling a window and door company to service and adjust the door. At which point they will tell you "Ahh , it's and old petersonfandanglewidgit style hing with fungrumblebebo locking, best upgrade to this #pulls out brochure# one with 83 point locking, 8x thermo rated letterbox and ding dong anouncment chime... We can do it as a package with new windows for those old ones you have........."

 

A good locksmith will probably be able to make adjustments too.

 

Rob

[timbo343]

Sorry, i might not have explained very well, it goes inbetween the frame and the door its self, where the rubber seal sits. Its like an added seal so to speak. The frame to the stone of the house is fine. This is the stuff.. http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=draught+foam+strips+for+upvc+door&hl=en&gl=GB&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=cpt2Uq3uCcii0QX28IG4Cw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoADge&biw=360&bih=530.

 

Just want to know if it may cause problems later on with the operation of the door.

[Sunnyknight]

Sorry, i might not have explained very well, it goes inbetween the frame and the door its self, where the rubber seal sits. Its like an added seal so to speak. The frame to the stone of the house is fine. This is the stuff.. draught foam strips for upvc door - Google Search.

 

Just want to know if it may cause problems later on with the operation of the door.

 

OOOOHHHHHHH now i know what you're on about. Yeah, it's going to cause problems with the bottom of the frame. Eventually, i think the door itself will start chipping away at the tape. As i said, get some caulk, and use that. It'll do the job.

[SpuffMonkey]

I'd agree with twin--turbo - you'd be better getting them properly adjusted so they close properly - our door isn't draughty at all - I'd have thought that sticking the excluder tape on will act as a lever point to make the locking pins difficult to engage and they will wear over time - but I'm no expert.

[Bananas]

We have a door onto our well kinda balcony that's like that. As we don't use it often this time of year I tend to use gaffer tape and seal it up. Obviously no good if you need to use the door

[Sirbendy]

most of my inherited DG windows are like that, some are really quite worn. Investigation suggests the hinge mechs are kaput- they have a bit on the end of the travel that pulls the window into the frame to compress the seals, and this is worn out. I often have to go outside and thwack the window into location against the seals once shut.

 

It's on my huge "to sort or rip out" list.

[timbo343]

Thanks all. The front door doesn't really get used but i don't really want to be pulling tape off the door when it does. Also, the house isn't mine, i am renting it, but the landlord doesn't really give a damm about it. This is how much he cares... I requested that we have some insulation in the loft so he went to buy some Thermawrap. Well, he says that he has put it "all over" in the loft and he would be coming back as he ran out of staples.

 

Well after he had gone, the tv signal was playing up and since the aerial is in the attic (i thought it may have moved/knocked it) i went up to see if it had moved. I was gob smacked at what i found:

-- He hadn't run out of staples, there were still staples and a staple gun left.

-- He hadn't put the insulation "all over", he had just laid it and not secured it.

-- At the front of the house in the loft, there is a load of rubbish which is his belonging to the house. He had not cleared the rubbish out (old drain pipe, what looks like rat poison etc) and just laid the insulation over this crap.

-- It looked like he has put his foot or knee through the ceiling in the spare bedroom, which i think i knows about but didn't tell us. We found out one night after tidying up. Its not much but the fact is, is isn't bothered.

[twin--turbo]

We have hardwood windows with a single glazed hardwood door.

 

The door is drafty , we just have a big thick curtain to pull accross and that makes a masive difference.

 

Rob

[john]

Very much agree the doors need adjusting to tighten up nice and tight or new seals fitting you can buy the seal in big packs and fit it yourself you can get thicker seals much better than sticky foam junk.

[bushby]

i live in a log cabin in my parents garden and its this time of year that i have to go and adjust the doors and windows to get them to be wind tight best thing to do is to talk to a glazer and tell them whats happening and passe the bill to the land lord (i do this when ever we need some mainitanence to the place my parents rent

[timbo343]

After looking at the hinges on the door there is only 1 place i can adjust. From the ones ive seen in videos etc, there should be 3 things to adjust. Maybe the landlord has put cheap doors in. After all, the damm extractor fan in the kitchen is a cheap job, its a circulator rather than an extractor. Grrr!