Does your home have air leaks or “drafts”? Regardless of the term you use, such conditions can significantly raise your energy bill and make your house uncomfortable.

A common area for air leaks is found around doors. To inspect doors for leaks, see if you can rattle them – movement means possible air infiltration. If you can see daylight around a door frame, then the door leaks. You can usually seal these small openings by weather stripping them. In less than 15 minutes and $15 dollars, you can help protect your home from unwanted air. Here are the tools and supplies you’ll need for weather stripping a door:

Supplies: Self Adhesive Foam Weather stripping Door Sweep kit (includes screws)

Tools: Clean Towel Spray Cleaner (like the kind for counters) Scissors Utility Knife Tape Measure Screwdriver Drill

Directions: Doors require two different kinds of weather stripping: sweeps for the bottom and self-adhesive foam for the top and sides.

Installing Self-Adhesive Foam

1. Clean the stop-moulding with a cleaner and dry completely.

2. Cut self-adhesive foam to fit each side and the top of the door. Also, you may need to split the stripping into two portions.

3. Peel the back from the foam and press it into the inside of the stop-moulding.

Installing a Door Sweep

1. Measure the bottom of the door.

2. Cut the sweep to fit the door, using a utility knife and/or scissors.

3. Holding the stop up to the door, mark where the screw holes of the stop are.

4. Drill holes in the door at the designated marks.

5. With the door closed, screw the sweep to the door so the bottom of the fin is in contact with the floor.

When finished, sit back and enjoy the energy savings of stopping cold air from entering your home in the winter, and warm air from infiltrating in the summer—a year full of savings in one simple project!