A Tightly Sealed Door in 30 Seconds

If you've spent any time trying to tighten a seal on a door, you know it can be a pain.  You adjust the weather stripping - perhaps replace it, adjust the strike plate, and try to find the balance where the door operates easily yet forms a tight seal.  If you have all the weather stripping handy and a bit of experience, perhaps you get a workable solution in 15 to 30 minutes.

However, I am hear to tell you that you can actually fix a poorly sealed door in 30 seconds or less without replacing weather stripping and without relocating the strike plate using a very simple gadget.  These 30 seconds will be worth dollars saved on your electric bill, and you'll wonder why all exterior doors don't have this product installed.



Doors and windows are often cited as one of the largest causes of heat (or cooling) loss in homes - especially in older homes. As your house settles, doors and window frames warp, other aging occurs, and what used to be a nice sound seal may turn into a wide open gap.

Assuming your frames and hardware are all sound, there are many simple solutions to reduce energy loss. Today, we'll be focusing on doors, where the usual first step is to replace or increase the weather stripping around the door.

While it is important to ensure your weather stripping is not brittle or cracked, and is still secure, I have what may be a simpler way to get that tight seal in less than 30 seconds.

Ratcheting Strike Plate

I'm always on the lookout for new products that make saving energy easier, and recently I found one that I think fits the bill.  New Resources Group makes a brass strike plate that ratchets your door shut.  And best of all, you only need 30 seconds and a phillips screwdriver to install it.

The tried one of these out just the other night (see photo), and was impressed with how sturdy the strike plate is. The builder-installed strike plate could be bent by hand, while this plate could not. Given the strength of the plate, I'm certain it will last for a long time. Best of all, this problem door, on which I used to be able to see light penetrating around the weatherstripping, now forms a tight seal and is sure to save some money. And believe me - I'd tried adjusting the previous strike plate a number of times and was never able to get a good seal.

In the photo on the left you can see the ridges on the strike plate that allow for the "ratcheting" action to occur.  The ratcheting action takes a little getting used to. The door will actually click a few times against the plate as you shut it - but this is just the sound of the plate catching.

For around $6 on Amazon, this is surely an excellent solution for any problem doors you may have, and a simple and wise investment before the cold winter arrives.

And be sure to check out my article on door thresholds for solving air leaks under your door.