Door-Hardware Maintenance: Weather-Stripping Basics

By Thomas A. Westerkamp Doors & Hardware

OTHER PARTS OF THIS ARTICLEPt. 1: Maintaining Locks, Hinges, Closers and Exit DevicesPt. 2: Card-Operated Locks Offer Managers FlexibilityPt. 3: Door-Hardware Maintenance Includes Lubrication, AdjustmentPt. 4: Door Misaligned? Reset the FramePt. 5: This Page

Weather stripping also will lose its effectiveness if a door becomes misaligned. In this case, the solution is to realign the door as described earlier. Strips also can lose their effectiveness because of wear or damage. When this happens, technicians should either tighten the strip — if it simply has loosened — or replace it if it is damaged or badly worn.

Managers can benefit from taking time to talk with their supplier or distributor before ordering the same kind of weather stripping used the last time. Manufacturers have made giant strides in these products in response to the growing demand for energy efficiency.

Finally, before installing new material, workers should always clean, sand, and prime bare spots and repaint the door frame where the weather seal attaches. Skipping these steps eventually will allow moisture to seep into the space between the frame and stripping and will cause it to rust, rot and fail prematurely.

Continue Reading: Doors and Hardware: Making a Smooth Entrance

Maintaining Locks, Hinges, Closers and Exit Devices