What Is Weatherstripping?

Quick answer

The squishy seal around a door frame that the closed door presses against, so outside air stays outside.

Weatherstripping in context
Photo by Government of Thailand via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, resized.

Compressible sealing material (foam tape, silicone bulb, or metal-backed V-strip) installed around a door or window frame so the closed door squeezes it and blocks airflow. Foam is cheapest and fades in a season or two of heavy use; silicone and V-strip cost a few dollars more and last years on an exterior door.

Fixes that use this

Outdoors & Seasonal

How to Replace a Worn Door Sweep Before Winter

If cold air comes in under the door, the sweep is probably torn or missing. Replace it in 20 minutes for $8–$15 and stop the floor-level draft.

Time20 min Cost$8–$15 easy

Outdoors & Seasonal

Seal Drafty Windows Before the First Cold Snap

Find the leak with a smoking incense stick, then match the fix to the gap. And never caulk the weep holes at the bottom of a vinyl window frame.

Time30 min–2 hrs Cost$10–$45 easy

Related terms

Door sweep

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