Do you know what a door sweep is? It is a small piece of rubber or plastic that is typically at the bottom of an outer facing door. It is there to prevent cold air from seeping into the house through the gap that naturally exists.

The problem is after frequent usage, a door sweep will wear out and typically fall off or become damaged. When this happens, you will notice cold air seeping through the bottom of the door in the winter months.

Replacing the door sweep is usually not a big hassle, though you can’t expect a long life out of one because of the incredible wear due to constant usage.

You can try taping or fastening thick felt on the bottom of the door in place of the sweep, though again this will certainly be exposed to wear. If you remain at home, you can also place a long thick towel across the bottom of the door to prevent cold air seeping in. Again, you have to be home for this to work.

You can construct your own door sweep by attaching a piece of rubber or similar material to the bottom of your door’s kickplate.

1. Get a piece of thin rubber or similar material, and cut it to size. Basically you want something that is durable, can prevent a draft and covers the gap when the door is closed.
2. Place it over the kickplate in position.
3. Drill at least 3 holes through the rubber, kickplate, and into the door. Do not go too deep into the door. You can make more than three holes if you want, but one needs to be on the left, right, and middle for stability.
4. Now that the holes have been marked, unscrew and remove the kickplate.
5. Place the rubber strip between the door and kickplate.
6. Fasten with screws.
7. Replace the kickplate screws.

What is a kickplate?

Usually it is a brass plate (or other metal) near the bottom of the door. It is there to protect the door from boots, shoes and feet kicking the door open.

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