Double doors are a beautiful addition that helps amp up your indoor aesthetics. However, gaps between double doors can lead to several problems. These include a lack of privacy and free entrance for bugs and creepy crawlies.
Most importantly, if you have an air conditioning system in your room, it is essential that you seal the gap between double doors. The gaps can easily let the air from outside get inside your room, rendering your cooling systems inefficient.
Luckily, it is quite easy to fix the gap between double doors. Just follow this guide to take up the task by yourself.
How Much Should Be The Gap Between Double Doors?
While the gap in the middle of double doors does create insulation problems and put your privacy at risk, it depends on the size of the gap. For instance, if you have a large gap measuring around 1-2 inches, then it should be fixed as soon as you identify one.
That’s because, with such a large gap, the doors won’t provide any protection against outdoor pests. Besides that, if the doors lead outdoors, you’ll have trouble during rainy, snowy, and windy seasons. In such extreme weather, the doors won’t keep the elements out effectively and cause a nuisance for you.
Similarly, the gap will not let your HVAC systems make a difference when trying to regulate the indoor temperature.
But remember, double doors are not designed to be completely fused together. So, if you have a small gap between double doors, the crack will pose no harm to you and your family.
The ideal measurement for a double door gap that doesn’t need to be fixed is around 3-5 mm. Anything more than that and you should follow the guidelines below to fill it out immediately.
How to Fix the Gap Between Double Doors
There are various ways to fix the gap between double doors if it exceeds the ideal measurement. Sometimes, loose hinges cause an unfavorable gap, and tightening them can fix it in a jiffy.
If that’s not the case, you can fill the gap using a locking stile. Although you’ll need to hire a professional for that, it provides better aesthetics compared to other fixing methods.
However, the easiest way to fix the gap by yourself is by using a molding strip or weather stripping. This is durable and quite easy to install so you can take up the project yourself and complete it within a few minutes. Here are the things you’ll need, as well as the steps you should follow to seal the gap between double doors.
- An electric drill
- A screwdriver
- Measuring tape
- Rough cloth for cleaning
- Good quality weather stripping
Step 1 – Align Your Double Doors
When attempting to fix the gap with weather stripping, you should ensure the doors are correctly aligned. If they are not, the result will look uneven, but you won’t be able to fill the gap successfully.
Sometimes there are difficulties with the alignment of the door, in which case you should check the hinges. If they are loose or rusty, try to tighten or replace them entirely to align the double doors before the procedure.
Step 2 – Measure The Gap
Once your doors are properly aligned, now you will get the exact measurement of the gap between them. Take the measuring tape and measure the thickness of the gap. You might need to attach a door sweep if the gap is huge.
On the contrary, fixing your hinges alone might fix the gap if it is small enough. So, aligning the doors beforehand is quite essential to see whether you need the weather stripping or not.
Step 3 – Clean The Edges
Before applying the stripping, you will have to prepare your door edges so that the material fixes quickly. Use a suitable cleaning agent to remove any dirt accumulated on the edges.
Similarly, if you have applied weather stripping or any other adhesive before, make sure it is completely removed so that it doesn’t hinder the new application.
Step 4 – Prepare The Weather Stripping
Weatherstripping is mainly a self-adhesive tape used to seal doors and windows. Once you have prepared your doors, measure the strip according to the length of your doors.
After that, remove the back strip exposing the adhesive layer of the stripping, and attach it to the door edges. Next, press the strip to secure it firmly to the door by running your fingers down its length multiple times.
Additionally, remove any air bubbles so the stripping does not come off quickly. Finally, open and close your double doors to check for any remaining gaps.
If you face problems closing the doors because your stripping is too thick, simply shave some off and make it thinner to fit the space.
Step 5 – Seal Other Crevices
Remember, the gap between your double doors is not the only crevice you’ll have to seal to ensure proper insulation. If you have a glass center on your double doors, check its edges for any gaps.
You can use weather stripping or silicone caulk to seal these gaps and save up on heating and cooling costs throughout the year.
Final Words
A small gap between double doors might not seem like a major inconvenience, but it can cause several problems if left unfixed. To avoid these problems, all you have to do is follow the instructions provided in this guide and fix the gaps yourself.
This way, your HVAC systems will work more efficiently, but you will also become concern-free about any weather elements or creepy crawlies entering your home.
