Draught around front door (Ed.)

[HumanAstronomer3194]

Apologies for the poor quality photos but in my parents house one of the doors has a draft coming through and I can see the fur/brush like excluder running around the door is pretty much flattened. There seems to be a groove for this excluder to run in built into the door frame.

What would people recommended here? Pull out the existing excluder pliers, give it a good clean and replace like for like or should I try and replace with something different?

 

[JohnD]

Is it a plastic door?

Show us the hinges and the locking mechanism

Stand back and take some wider pics, inside and out, and, with the door shut, show the size of the gap all round.

 

[crank39]

Thats aluminium

 

[HumanAstronomer3194]

Okay really should of washed the door before before taking photos but alas.

It's really noticeable on windy days

Bank card easily fits in between the door and the frame

but I cannot do the same on the hinge side.

 

[JohnD]

Bank card easily fits in between the door and the frame

but I cannot do the same on the hinge side.

And is the lock side where you get the draught?

The draught strip looks crushed. It it fur, or rubber?

I've had aluminium where the strip slides in with T shaped fin, but I don't know how yours works.

It should be possible to adjust the lock keep to tighten the shut, but look into the draught strip first.

Show the locking parts please

 

[HumanAstronomer3194]

And is the lock side where you get the draught?

The draught strip looks crushed. It it fur, or rubber?

I've had aluminium where the strip slides in with T shaped fin, but I don't know how yours works.

It should be possible to adjust the lock keep to tighten the shut, but look into the draught strip first.

Show the locking parts please

Draught is mostly on the lock side of the door.

It's all fur but seems imbedded in the frame itself.

You can see the light coming through the frame even when the door is closed and locked. However when I press against the door it seals the door so no light nor a draught gets through.

Didn't spot this gap until now either. But the fur is fairly stuck in place as I cannot move it all with my hands at least.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

The gap can be filled with something like this, ensuring you thoroughly clean and prep the surfaces first.

Dow 791 Weatherproofing Silicone Sealant White 310ml - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Low modulus silicone provides excellent, unprimed adhesion to both porous and non-porous substrates. Suitable for weather sealing and expansion joints. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

Looking at the pics, it appears as though the existing fur strips are located/secured within a channel in the frame, so I'd have thought it would pull out, even if needing some persuasion. Personally, I wouldn't bother replacing with the fur, if you Google something like 'rubber gasket door seal' you'll find tons of possible replacements, some that locate into channels, some that stick on.

And if you Google 'rubber gasket sample kit' you'll find lots of sample kits you can buy to try various designs.

 

[JohnD]

I think the fur strip is slid into that slot through the gap at the end. See if any of yours will slide along a bit (they may be stuck in place with dirt and corrosion). I think it is called "pile draught excluder" but I have not bought any for years. Once the old strip is out you can clean the slot with a stiff brush.

See if your lock keep can be pushed sideways a bit if you slacken the screws.

Edit

Here's an example, mine is like that but the fin is metal. I think modern ones are plastic.

https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/product/exitex-slide-pile-with-fin-100m-length-5mm-pile-white-719619

 

[JohnD]

I found some more sizes

https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/browse/hinges-seals-and-intumescent/seals/vertical-sash-window-seals/filter/ironmongery_type%3E%7Bslide20piles%7D?fi=p

Fur pile is very good, but the rubber strips are more common.

On mine, being metal, if you can push it along a bit, you can grab the fin with fine pliers and pull it out.

 

[HumanAstronomer3194]

Many thanks @JohnD and @diy_fun_uk for all your help. Will look into all the stuff you recommended and report back.

 

[ahow35]

It looks like your parents have a brush strip fitted, but from the photograph with the credit card, it looks like it may have been squashed too much and is no longer touching the door and creating a seal.

If you want to replace this with a like for like, you can buy a carrier fit brush seal from somewhere like https://www.sealsdirect.co.uk/shop/category/glazing-door-seals-561. This will allow you to pull out the existing brush, and insert the new profile.

However, as mentioned above, there are a lot of sponge rubber alternatives that may be more suitable. You could replace the brush seal, and also stick a sponge rubber section somewhere else on the door frame. This would act as a secondary seal and provide your parents with an extra barrier.

 

[JohnD]

I find the brush or fur seals last a long time. They have the advantage that they do not stick to the door making it difficult to open or close, which is why they are very good for sliding sash windows.