Weatherstripping: save energy by stopping heat loss

During the warm and cool times of year, millions of people around the world run home heaters or air conditioners to stay comfortable. The energy cost of running these appliances is high even when they’re working properly. However, the energy used to heat or cool homes is wasted when there are cracks or openings along the edges of doors and windows. Weatherstripping allows people to seal the gaps in any doors and windows to best retain heating and cooling energy in their homes.

What is weatherstripping?

Weatherstripping comes in a variety of materials such as foam, vinyl, copper or aluminum. The purpose of weather stripping is to block gaps around doors and windows that can allow energy to escape from the home.

Different types of weatherstripping are available to meet the needs of various installation scenarios. Strips of vinyl weatherstripping is often suitable for windows, while many people use metal weatherstripping to seal off doors. When choosing a weatherstrip material, it’s important to choose a material that will be durable enough to last in the area of the house where it’s being installed. For example, metal weatherstripping is more likely to last when used to seal off doorways.

Weatherstripping is fairly inexpensive, and it’s easy to install in windows even if you don’t have professional home repair experience. However, installing weatherstripping in doorways can take slightly more specialized knowledge. When determining how much weatherstripping you need, always add on at least an extra foot to the total length of the surface area you plan on covering.