The functions of the door block include not only protection against the entry of unwanted guests into the house, but also protection against cold or hot air, foreign odors and noise. In the places where the leaf adheres to the door frame, gaps always remain, and seals are used to stop the movement of air through the cracks. Not so long ago, our parents and grandfathers used various auxiliary materials for this - rags, felt, moss and even straw. Today, technological progress has replaced these handicraft methods with more efficient and durable ones.

Purpose of door seals

It is quite simple to understand why seals are installed on the door. Suffice it to recall the refrigerator that is in every home. What if there was no rubber strip on the door? The answer is obvious - it is tantamount to the fact that the door would remain open, the effect of cooling products would have to wait a very long time. Cold air inside constantly mixed with warm air, as a result, the refrigerator would turn into an air conditioner that lowers the temperature in the kitchen. To localize the cooling zone, it is necessary to stop air circulation. This task is performed by the rubber seal.

Similar processes occur with the entrance and interior doors. The door leaf adjoins the frame with a technological gap of 3-4 mm, otherwise the door simply will not open. Through it, air can freely penetrate both in one direction and in the other. If this does not play a special role for internal doorways, then a stream of cold or hot, sultry air will move through the entrance doors all year round. In winter, cold drafts will begin to blow inside the hallway, freezing will increase. In summer, hot air from the street will appear in the house, and at the same time dust and noise.

According to experts, from 25 to 30% of heat is lost through the front door without a seal during the cold season. The solution to all problems is an elastic seal that seals the cracks inside the door block and allows you to control the movement of air.

Air chambers inside the seal increase its thermal insulation properties

Varieties of door seals

For the convenience of selection, seals are classified according to the following criteria:

• by material of manufacture (there are rubber, plastic, silicone, foam and polyurethane);
• for the intended purpose (for entrance doors or interior doors);
• by the method of installation (fixing with glue or in a special groove).

Rubber

Rubber seals are time-tested and are most often used for entrance doors. Rubber vulcanized in a special way withstands not only moisture, but also a wide range of temperature differences (from -60 to +90 o C). Possible installation options:

Silicone

An analogue of a rubber seal, adapted for interior doors. It is characterized by softness in operation and a lower price, since its resistance to mechanical stress is lower. It is used for light doors made of wood and its derivatives - fiberboard, plywood, chipboard, etc.

Silicone seals are mainly installed on interior doors

Foam seals

Foam rubber is the most inexpensive and short-lived type of door seal. Service life - a year, at most two. With intensive use, the material quickly deforms (shrinks and breaks), so that the sealing has to be renewed almost every season. Foam rubber is more suitable for insulating blind window frames. However, the low price allows you to change the seal as often as you like. The disadvantage is the ability of a porous material to absorb moisture with all the ensuing consequences - freezing and deformation of the door junction with the frame.

Foam seal is available in the form of a twisted bundle of various widths

Polyurethane

Polyurethane gaskets are used in sliding doors (compartment, booklet, sliding doors, etc.). Their purpose is to minimize gaps, as well as soften impacts. The design feature is that inside the elastic body there is a filling made of polyurethane foam. The seals have a long service life and are designed for 15–20 years of service (over 300,000 opening cycles). They are also used for plastic windows and doors, as they withstand exposure to UV radiation. The main disadvantage is the high price.

Polyurethane seals are used in structures exposed to solar radiation

Brush

A relatively new product that emerged with the development of sliding doors. The abutment of the canvas to the frame is not always so even that a rubber seal can be properly installed. In these cases, a flexible nylon bristle brush design is used to close misconfigured gaps. Such seals are successfully used for revolving and sliding doors (not only for interior and exterior doors, but also for automobile doors). Especially often they are installed on thresholds - where dust accumulates most. During the movement of the blade, the brushes "rake out" debris and clean the guide track from dirt. Manufacturers claim (and not without reason) that such a seal is effective in combating dust and freezing. Although its sonic permeability is, of course, much higher than that of rubber.

The brush seal is easy to install and slows down the air movement in the lower part of the doorway

Magnetic

Magnetic seals are used predominantly in metal entrance doors where sealing is critical to keeping the home warm. The design of the seal includes a rubber body and a magnet built into it along the entire perimeter. The force of attraction forces the sash tightly against the door frame, thanks to which the smallest gaps are leveled. In each case, it is important to choose the right magnetic seal: a weak attraction will not work effectively enough, and an excessive one will create difficulties when opening the door. The force to open the refrigerator door can be taken as a sample - it is with this force that the magnet must hold the door closed.

The magnetic strip, mounted inside the seal, has an unlimited service life

Sealing a room with a magnetic seal received the highest marks from specialists. Air from the outside, as well as noise and fine dust, practically does not penetrate into the room. Service life - 15 years and more (depending on the quality of the rubber band). During operation, it is necessary to ensure that small metal objects do not fall between the leaf and the door jamb, steel shavings with sharp edges are especially dangerous. The outer rubber gasket must be washed and cleaned of adhering debris at least once a month (the magnet attracts not only metal, but also small electrostatically charged objects).

The bulk of household door seals are unified for self-installation. The only exceptions are magnetic gaskets; it is better to entrust their installation to specialists. Fastening is carried out using glue or a special groove cut through the door block. For household use, self-adhesive tapes are widely used, the surface of which is covered with a moisture-resistant adhesive with a protective film.

When selecting a ready-made factory seal, you must pay attention to the following parameters:

• tape thickness;
• the width of the strip;
• mounting method.

On my own I would like to add. There is an old grandfather's method, which is still relevant today. To determine the thickness of the seal, a piece of soft plasticine (or raw rubber) is wrapped in a plastic bag and clamped into the door in several (at least four) places. It is possible that the compression will be stronger in the area of ​​the hinges, and less near the doorknob. From the print on the plasticine, the maximum and minimum size of the seal is determined, and then the average value is found. For example, at the hinges, the plasticine shrank to 3 mm, and in the opposite corner - to 4 mm. This means that you need to install a tape with a minimum thickness of 3.5 mm.

In normal operation, the gasket is considered to contract no more than 50% in thickness.

As for the width of the tape, everything is simple here. It should not exceed the width of the supporting part of the door jamb - when the door is closed, it should not be visible from the outside.

The fixing method is determined as a result of a visual inspection of the door block. If there is no groove in the frame or canvas for mounting the seal, it means that the fastening is carried out with glue. If a thin (from 3 to 5 mm) groove is selected along the entire perimeter, the door is designed for a groove seal.

Compression of the seal should not exceed half of its thickness

Installation and replacement of a seal for various types of doors

The tool required for self-assembly is simple and can be found in every home:

• pencil or marker;
• tape measure and ruler;
• sharp knife;
• a brush with a long (2-3 cm) bristle.

To install the brush seals, you will additionally need a hacksaw for metal.

The glue is waterproof, best of all - rubber. To degrease and clean the edge of the door, acetone solvents and sandpaper are used.

When working with a solvent, it is necessary to protect the respiratory system from poisonous vapors with a respirator.

If the old seal is being replaced, it is necessary to remove the used tape from the doors and carefully treat the surface with fine emery. Before direct sticking of the tape, the end of the frame (or canvas) is washed and degreased. Small bumps are grinded, and small depressions are putty (pre-filled with glue and dried).

Depending on the type of gasket, there are certain installation nuances. Having familiarized themselves with them, everyone will be able to install thermal insulation tape on their door on their own.

Sealing metal doors

Since a metal door has a flat surface, self-adhesive or simply adhesive seals are most often used. The sequence of actions is as follows:

The main mistake when working with silicone and rubber products is excessive belt tension. It is impossible to tighten the gasket during installation; it must be laid in a free, "relaxed" state.

Video: how to properly glue the seal on the entrance iron door

Installation of a seal in wooden doors

The seal is mounted on a wooden base in two ways - with glue (we discussed it above) and in a groove. The second method is considered more reliable. The procedure for installing the seal in this case is as follows:

When preparing a wooden door for the sealant application, do not over-moisten the material. The glue will lag very quickly from raw wood. If moisture still gets on the canvas or frame, you must wait until the wood is completely dry and only then glue the sealant. To speed up drying, use a building hair dryer.

Installing a seal in a plastic door

Plastic doors are equipped with seals at the manufacturing stage. In domestic conditions, the replacement of a worn-out part is more often relevant. The door has a special ebb (groove) for installing the seal on the glue. Therefore, to replace you need:

Installation of brush seals in sliding doors

Sliding doors are most often equipped with brush seals. Sometimes they are also called anti-thresholds. Due to the design features, the installation of brushes differs from the installation of rubber and silicone gaskets. They are attached at the bottom of the door or (less often) at the side end.

The installation diagram is very simple. If the door has a flat and smooth surface, the brushes are glued onto double-sided tape. If there is any doubt about the strength of the adhesive layer, the fixation can be additionally reinforced with screws. The stages of work on installing a brush seal are as follows:

Some models of brushes are attached using brush holders - special metal or plastic profiles. Most often they are used on doors with large dimensions - in garages, warehouses, etc. In this case, the mounting profile is first installed, and then the brushes themselves are attached to it.

Video: installing a brush seal on the door

Useful information

Seal for wooden doors

Wood doors are among the safest and most environmentally friendly solutions in home furnishing, but over time they tend to deform when dry and lead to a loss of heat in the room. To eliminate drafts and achieve good sound insulation at home, TBM-Market recommends buying a seal for wooden doors, which will accurately close the cracks in the structures and ensure a high density of their abutment.

Advantages of seals for wooden doors

Modern seals for wooden doors act as an optimal barrier against cold, dust, noise and odors from the kitchen. Due to their shock-absorbing properties, they soften the impact of the leaf on the frame, which significantly extends the service life of the wooden structure. In addition, after installing them, you can forget about the annoying slamming and creak of the door, which becomes a serious problem for many residents of the house.

Structurally, a seal for interior doors is a flexible or rigid profile of a broken configuration, which is attached in the grooves of the door frame or along its perimeter using self-adhesive tape. In its production, thermoplastic elastomer and water-saturated sodium silicate with glass threads are most often used, which completely excludes the access of air to the room.

Sale of a seal for wooden doors is one of the core activities of the TBM-Market company. We cooperate with leading European manufacturers and offer our customers a wide range of reliable products with many significant advantages:

• environmental friendliness - the seals sold do not emit toxins and do not have a negative effect on human health;
• resistance to high and low temperatures (both to winter frosts and summer heat);
• the ability to quickly recover its shape after compression and deformation;
• increased level of noise protection;
• aesthetic appearance;
• high wear resistance;
• comfortable hold;
• resistance to microorganisms, ozone exposure and ultraviolet rays.

By contacting our online store, you can purchase really high-quality seals for interior doors, which will reliably serve for many years.

Types of seals for interior doors

The choice of this or that seal largely depends on its scope and installation method. The main purchase criteria are the tightness of the accessory, the ability to retain its properties after deforming processes and softness, which helps the door to cushion and soften when hitting the door frame. Based on their functional purpose, products are divided into several varieties:

• Threshold - mounted on the lower end of the door leaf. Due to their design, they can completely replace the thresholds and improve the tightness of the door junction. The seal works only when closed, completely hiding the gap between the canvas and the floor.
• Contoured - they are mounted around the entire perimeter of the door frame in order to prevent the influence of external factors. Such a seal for wooden doors can be installed both on the door leaf and on the door slopes, creating comfortable living conditions in rooms without odors and drafts.
• Fireproof - like the contour ones, are installed around the entire perimeter, however, they protect not only from noise and cold, but also from possible fire. Due to their increased density and resistance to high temperatures, they help to protect the premises from fire and prevent the penetration of smoke and harmful combustion products into the interior.

In the catalog of the TBM-Market company you will find any of the above seals for interior doors and you can make a profitable purchase by ordering products at an affordable price. Our consultants have many years of experience in working with door accessories and will help you choose the most appropriate solution for home insulation and minimizing possible heat loss. We carry out free delivery of the order to any point in Moscow or the region, which will make your purchase faster and more comfortable!

Not everyone can afford expensive metal doors, and they are not at all necessary in a country house, therefore, suburban residents put just wooden doors with good heat exchange properties. The door, whether it is made of birch or pine, must first of all withstand cold air currents, street noise, protect residents from extraneous unpleasant odors or litter.

Of course, it is impossible to imagine a door without a base - a box, where it is ultimately installed, but it is very, very difficult to precisely bend all the dimensions of both parts, therefore gaps and cracks appear through which cold will enter.

Seals for wooden doors will help get rid of all these troubles, and our review will help how to choose a worthy option.

What are

Wood itself is a very malleable material, it can perfectly absorb moisture and dry out from the sun's rays or the heat from the stove, so its dimensions can change in one direction or another. But doors can be both entrance and interior doors, so each of them needs its own seal, because what will be especially good to protect from street noise and bad weather. May not be suitable for a door located between rooms at all.

• Foam options... It is a relatively cheap compacted, similar in appearance to a tape. But with their direct task, withstanding the cold, they cope poorly, and in just half a season they can completely fail. But these materials are suitable for arranging the interior door leaf, they will stop slamming and creaking when opening and closing. But if there are no other options, then choose wide foam products and install them on glue or small nails.

  In the photo there is a foam rubber seal for wooden doors

• PVC products with rubber pad... This is already a worthy option, polyvinyl chloride itself is resistant and durable, and a thin rubber gasket perfectly wraps around the door contour, and does not let anything superfluous into the house.

  

  The photo shows a PVC seal for wooden doors

• Rubber products for entrance door seals... In fact, this is a universal option, they will fit almost any door leaf - and made of wood, plastic or metal. There are self-adhesive and simple rubber seals. The installation of the self-adhesive product is very simple - just remove the protective film, distribute it along the contour of the door, and press a little, and it will sit in place by itself. These products are produced in various sizes, and there is always a wide selection of the desired option. The prime cost will be low, and the service life will be very long. During the purchase, carefully study the label, the material can serve both 3 and all 9 years, it all depends on the composition, the label will definitely tell you how long this seal is designed for.

  

  In the photo there is a rubber seal for wooden doors

• Silicone Products... Its basic characteristics are very similar to the rubber versions and the installation is exactly the same. But over time, the structure of silicone changes, it will somehow resemble office glue, therefore it ceases to perform its basic functions, in some places it even disappears from its place.

  

  The photo shows a silicone seal for wooden doors

• Thermoplastic elastomer seals... These are very durable and at the same time elastic products that meet all accepted environmental requirements, are not afraid of sudden changes in temperature conditions, and remain with the same characteristics even at strongly negative temperatures. Aesthetic and durable, it can protect the front door from the cold for up to 30 years without noticeable changes. But, as they say, you have to pay for the pleasure, and this is probably the most expensive material. For installation, you need to make special cuts in the door, that is, this mortise seal, which may cause some inconvenience, the groove must be at least 5 mm. During installation, pay attention - one side with notches in the form of a herringbone, it is it that should be put into the groove, and if it hits, it will immediately open, that is, it will be securely fixed and will not change its position anymore.

  

  Photo - thermoplastic elastomer seal for wooden doors

• Self-adhesive They are mainly used to seal the interior doors of doors, they are light and at the same time practical sealed, well sealing individual living quarters - the sound practically does not penetrate, the doors do not slam on the jamb, which is undoubtedly convenient. And they are very cheap. Modern technological processes have made these materials resistant to sunlight, they can tolerate any temperature changes well.

  

  In the photo there is a self-adhesive seal for wooden doors

• Special threshold seals... They will not only reliably protect the door from the penetration of cold, but at the same time they will be able to clean dirty shoes from large fractions of dirt - the brushes will cope with this task, they are inserted into special profiles and laid along the contour of the lower base.

  

  In the photo there are special threshold seals

What is and how is the polynor sprayed insulation used, this information will help you understand:

What kind of self-adhesive insulation for doors should be used and how to choose it is described in great detail in this

A little more about mortise products

A distinctive feature of such seals at the installation site is that it is installed along the perimeter of the door frame, instead of the door itself. This is much more convenient than making cuts in the door itself.

But on sale you can find ready-made options - high-quality material is already fixed on the door, which will help the door to come into closer contact with the frame.

Mounting

Let us analyze in detail how to seal the door using a mortise rubber product:

• Calculate the perimeter of the doorway, the material should be purchased with a small margin;
• You will need a special milling tool for the equipment of the required slot size;
• Carefully make grooves of the required size according to the marking;
• Take the sealant, and slowly around the perimeter, sequentially tuck it into the groove in the desired direction (usually installation instructions are attached);
• Check your work, put the door on the box.

If a simple sealing material is chosen, then it should be glued both along the leaf of the door itself and along the contour of the box in order to achieve the best result.

On the video seal for wooden doors:

But how to glue a rubber seal to a metal door and how to do it correctly, this will help you understand

How to use it correctly and how to choose it correctly is described in this article.

But what the foam insulation for windows looks like and how to use it correctly, this will help you understand

Manufacturers and prices

• Silicone guide seals, made in China, with a size of 9x6 mm, the cost of a running meter is 192 rubles, the color scheme imitates the veneer of the door;
• Self-adhesive tapes, running meter costs 665 rubles, made in China, various color shades;
• Delivery in whips, type - combined, magnetic self-adhesive, manufacturer Russia, price of 1 piece of product - 100 rubles, of various colors.

Large heat losses in the house occur through the door block. The reason may be a skewed box, wear of the seals, or just a thin sheet. To insulate a wooden door in a private house, comprehensive measures are taken to eliminate all defects.

Wood has a low thermal conductivity, but the lack of material is its response to changes in humidity and temperature. The door block dries up, swells, warps and even cracks. There are three main reasons signaling the urgent need to insulate a wooden door at the dacha:

1. Education cracks between the box and the ends of the walls of the opening... Initially, during installation work, all the gaps are foamed. Foam is a good insulation material, but loses its properties over time. Faster destruction occurs from the side of the street, if platbands are not installed. Foam deteriorates from exposure to the sun. Another cause of cracks is a skewed bow.
2. Education gaps between the frame and the sash... The most common defect in a wooden front door occurs due to poor wood, poor-quality installation and long-term use. Often the owner himself becomes the culprit when he cuts the swollen sash so that it closes better. After drying, the product decreases in size, a gap forms.
3. Insulation wear. Each thermal insulation material is selected taking into account the operational requirements. If they were not initially respected, the incorrectly selected insulation loses its effectiveness. For example, mineral wool quickly cakes, and due to dampness it decreases in volume.
   You need to insulate any old wooden door, as well as a thin sash.

What kind of insulation is better to choose?

To make a do-it-yourself insulated wooden door, you will need heat-insulating material, as well as material for the upper decorative finish. The slots are closed with a sealant. When the question arises of how to insulate a wooden door in a private house, pay attention to the following materials:

• Styrofoam it is better to use it as an internal insulation of wooden entrance doors. Plates can be sheathed from the side of the room.

• Foam rubber it is considered the most common insulation, which is covered with artificial leather on top. The porous material creates a volumetric effect. Foam rubber loses crumbling over time.

• Minvata does not burn, has good thermal insulation properties, but cakes quickly. When exposed to dampness, it accumulates moisture. Slides off a vertical surface under the weight.

• Foamed polyethylene- Isolon resembles foam rubber in structure. The material is distinguished by the best thermal insulation performance, a long service life. Izolon does not tolerate long exposure to direct sunlight.

• Polyurethane foam applied by spraying, firmly adheres to wood, penetrates into all cracks. The disadvantage is the impossibility of performing work without the presence of special equipment.

• Expanded polystyrene resembles polystyrene, but has improved characteristics. The material has self-extinguishing properties when exposed to open fire.

When choosing insulation for the doors of a wooden house, it is important to take into account the thickness of the material. Thick layers will make the sash heavier, create an obstacle to normal closing. Thin is useless. You need to find a middle ground between these two parameters.

Types of seals for door frames

In addition to thermal insulation, you will need a sealant to seal the cracks around the perimeter of the canvas. It is a tape that differs in thickness and material:

• Foam strip fixed due to the glue base. The seal wears out quickly during the season.

• Silicone strip resistant to moisture, elastic. Over time, it begins to stick, tear in pieces.

• Rubber rubber the seal for wooden doors will serve for many years. The tape is resistant to wear, moisture, mechanical stress.

• Thermoplastic- the best in terms of wear resistance, but difficult to install.

• Polyurethane strip glued on due to the sticky base. In terms of characteristics, it is not inferior to a rubber seal.

Thermal insulation cannot be done without decorative finishes. Usually the insulation is covered with artificial leather. Fix with furniture nails with a wide decorative cap. From the inside, the canvas is sheathed with laminated MDF panels. The trim from genuine leather looks beautiful, but the material is very expensive.

How to insulate a wooden door?

They begin to insulate a wooden door with preparatory work:

• loosened hinges are fixed with new elongated self-tapping screws;
• if a thick heavy insulation is used, an additional loop is installed;
• eliminate box distortions, web defects;
• check the condition of the seal around the perimeter of the door gutter at the junction with the walls;
• change broken fittings: lock, handles, peephole, latch.

After eliminating all defects, the installation of insulation on wooden entrance doors begins.

The question is often asked whether vapor barrier when insulating wooden doors? When arranging the assembly seams of the door block, it is necessary. The gap between the box and the wall is sealed with foam. So that the insulation does not deteriorate, from the street the seam is covered with PSUL tape. From the side of the room, the foam is destroyed by vapors. For protection, the seam is sealed with vapor barrier tape. A vapor barrier may be required for the product if it is installed in a damp room, and mineral wool serves as thermal insulation.

Installing the seal on the door frame

The first salvation from heat loss is the installation of a seal on a wooden door to eliminate gaps between the sash and the frame. The tape is selected according to the thickness corresponding to the size of the gap. A thin strip is useless, and a thick one will become an obstacle to the normal closing of the canvas. The installation of the seal consists of the following steps:

1. The gaps between the sash and the frame are measured, the thickness of the tape is selected.
2. Self-adhesive sealant is glued into the groove around the perimeter of the well.
3. The silicone tape is fixed with the staples of a construction stapler.

If the size of the gap is different along the perimeter of the door block, which often happens during deformation, the groove in the box is expanded and deepened. The edge of the blade is passed with a grinder. A two-layer or three-layer tape is glued to the new groove.

A properly glued seal should adhere tightly to the sash edge around the entire perimeter and not interfere with its free closing.

Roller sealing

You can insulate the joint along the perimeter of the door frame with leatherette rollers with foam rubber inserted inside.

• Measure the length of all sides of the sash. According to the results, four strips 100 mm wide were cut out of the leatherette.
• The strips are leaned against the edge of the sash with the wrong side up. Near the edge of the door leaf, the leatherette is fixed with a stapler.
• Thick foam rubber is placed inside each strip, a roller is formed.
• Fix the second edge of the leatherette with a stapler.

The door block becomes more beautiful, and all the gaps are hidden under the rollers.

Warming of the canvas

For maximum insulation of a wooden door with their own hands, they use the method of double-sided thermal insulation. The sash is faced from the outside and from the inside. From the street, the thermal insulation is covered with a material that is resistant to aggressive weather conditions. To insulate the front door from the inside, foam rubber and artificial leather are most often used. Warming of a wooden door takes place in the following order:

• For the convenience of work, the canvas is removed from the hinges, freed from the old insulation, handles, lock and other accessories.
• A fragment is cut out of the heat-insulating material, the size is larger than the dimensions of the sash. It's good if about 100 mm of foam rubber hangs on each side.

• Insulation along the edge of the door is shot with staples. The hanging ends are trimmed with scissors.
• The foam is covered with artificial leather on top. Rolls are formed from the hanging edges and fastened with furniture nails. The common plane of the canvas is decorated with a pattern. It turns out after nailing. Soft foam between wide caps forms beautiful bulges. Between the fasteners, you can stretch a wire or dermantin strips sewn with a tube.

At the end of the work, all fittings are installed and the insulated product is hung on the box.

If foam or polystyrene is chosen for the insulation of the door block, the final cladding is usually carried out by MDF. The sash increases in thickness and weight. The door block is additionally reinforced with hinges. A frame is nailed to the surface of the canvas from the rails, which forms the cells. Foam plates are tightly laid, and the gaps between the rails are blown out with polyurethane foam. MDF is fixed on top.

It is possible to glue thin foam slabs to the door leaf without making a frame. Artificial leather is used for decorative finishing.

Installation of double doors

A good way to insulate your home is to install a double front door. Due to the formation of an air space that separates the room from the street, heat is retained. The disadvantage of this design is the reduction in space.

A threshold is set for the indoor unit. Insulation is additionally placed on the slopes between the doors. There are designs where two leaves are hinged on one deep box.

When insulating the entrance doors, it must be remembered that moisture acts on the canvas from the side of the street. Treatment with impregnation, painting with paint or varnish will help to protect against moisture as much as possible. Linseed oil creates a good waterproofing.

It is important to always keep warm in any room, especially during cold seasons. Therefore, it is advisable to insulate only windows, but also doors through which cold, wind and dust penetrate into the room no less, or even more. For this purpose, a variety of door seals are produced, which take care of maximum heat preservation in a house, apartment, office, public institution.

Appointment

Door seals are designed to close gaps and gaps that allow cold air and winds to enter the room. It is impossible to do without them in a private house with doors leading directly to the street. The door structure (especially if it is wooden or made of a similar material) tends to dry out or, conversely, absorbs a large amount of moisture during rains and dampness. The deformation of the door frames creates such conditions when the door cannot fit snugly against the jamb. It must either be replaced, which, of course, is not always possible, or use a saving inexpensive option in the form of a good seal, which will extend the life of the door and help keep warm in the living or work space.

In addition, there is one more function of the seal - shock absorption, which is not directly related to the heat-saving function, but provides a softer contact between the door and the jamb, preventing loud bangs and unnecessary creaking.

Requirements

Of course, in order to perform its main function, the seal must be of good quality.

Therefore, it must have the following properties:

• durable materials of manufacture - it is on them that the service life of the sealing tape depends. If the tape is not of very good quality, it will quickly lag behind the door and will be simply unusable;
• good insulation should fit tightly to the surfaces around it. This provides an obstacle to the penetration of cold air, winds and street dust into the room;
• resistance to constant mechanical stress is also a necessary quality, because when opening and closing doors, as well as the impact of any external factors, materials of poor quality will undergo rapid wear;
• the material should not only be strong, but also bend well, not tear when trying to close door gaps and crevices with it, be as soft as possible in order to minimize the sound of the door hitting its frame.

Views

All types of door seals are produced in the form of tape, which has various lengths, widths, thicknesses and colors depending on the size of the gaps and gaps, as well as the color of a particular door in order to preserve aesthetics. The types of the profile of the seal can be different. A profile is a form of insulation, which can have a cavity inside the material, the task of which is to eliminate gaps and seal gaps of various sizes and shapes. When shrinking, a good insulation does not get any damage. This property is possessed by high-quality polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane. Profile shapes can be in the form of letters of the English alphabet: P, V, C, E, O and other configurations.

Sealing tape made of foam rubber is the most popular and inexpensive type. A self-adhesive film is attached to the foam rubber, its thickness may vary. The methods of attaching the foam rubber tape are different depending on the material from which the door frame is made. If it is wooden, the foam rubber is fixed on it with wallpaper nails, and if the entrance structure is metal, you can use strong glue that is suitable for working with metal. Of the minuses of the foam tape, it should be noted that it does not differ in wear resistance and does not last long. Also, foam rubber, due to its porosity (especially when it comes to large-width tapes), tends to pass cold air, so it is best to use it as a heater not for entrance doors, but for interior doors.

Tubular seal is a thick dense bundle, inside which there is a rather large cavity. It is thanks to the strength of the material in combination with the internal cavity that the door adheres to the jamb without cracks and unnecessary gaps. The tubular seal is made of rubber, which has a porous structure, which provides heat saving and sound insulation. It is often self-adhesive, which makes it easy to install. Of course, any “self-adhesive” will simply fall off over time, but usually it will withstand from one to several seasons, and then it can also be easily replaced with another. Most often, rubber is used for doors facing the street.

Groove seals are made specifically for plastic doors of various designs and are made of softer rubber than thick tubular seal. Installation of such a product is more than simple: you just need to carefully insert it into the door grooves. The groove method provides minimal impact of external factors on the seal itself and lasts much longer, withstanding bad weather and sudden temperature changes. This type of insulation can only be used for plastic doors. Unfortunately, it will not work for other door designs. By the way, an interesting fact that should be taken into account by all owners of plastic doors is that each manufacturer, in addition to selling and installing doors, is also engaged in the manufacture of seals, which can be immediately purchased as an additional and useful accessory.

Glass seal It is also a separate type of seal designed specifically for glass door elements of different sizes. Their profile has an individual cross-section, and the material of manufacture is flexible and soft silicone. It is enough to simply moisten such material in water, and then immediately install the doors in the right place. This type of silicone differs in that after soaking after a certain amount of time, it adheres firmly to glass surfaces and does not "stick", in contrast to simple self-adhesive seals.

Magnetic seals produced in the form of a frame, repeating the door contours with an accuracy of a millimeter. They are used for metal doors and are recommended by experts as the highest quality and durable. Each of them has two components: an insert with a magnet and a soft material. Such a seal is not cheap, and certain rules must be followed when installing it, however, durability and high quality can contribute to its acquisition.

Magnetic Products have a high degree of tightness and shock absorption, so the door will not make noise when opening and closing, and the attraction of the door to the jamb will ensure the complete absence of cracks and gaps. The only drawback may be that, due to magnetic attraction, sometimes additional physical effort will have to be applied to open the door. A special place among the seals is occupied by the threshold, the purpose of which is not only insulation at the bottom of the doors, but also the increased load that the dense rubber or rubber from which it is made can withstand. When purchasing such an item, you need to pay special attention to the quality of the rubber.

Contour seal good for its ease of use: it is attached to the door along its perimeter. If there is a special groove, it can be inserted there, or you can simply lay it along the edge if there is no gap or groove. Contour insulation is often made from rubber and foam. For premises with a high fire hazard, a thermally expanding type of insulation is often used. Visually, it looks like the most common, but with a sharp increase in temperature during fire and smoke, it tends to immediately expand and foam. This prevents air from entering the room and the flame can go out faster.

Also for fire doors, a triple, or three-circuit view of the seal providing additional sound and noise insulation effect. The sealant, consisting of three layers (or contours), can be used in both apartments and offices for optimal comfort and safety. Additional rigid ribs make the door leaf much thicker and increase its weight, therefore it is important to provide that the door frame and its fittings are as strong as possible. Such insulation is perhaps the best at retaining heat when used for front doors.

Liquid version of insulation used for metal entrance doors and requires certain conditions of use. It comes in metal cans and is sprayed to the required locations. In fact, it is a liquid foam rubber that, when applied under gas pressure, quickly hardens, providing good thermal insulation properties. Its peculiarity is that it does not like places with high levels of humidity. Also, when spraying, a certain skill is required in order to apply it as accurately as possible so that the door does not acquire unnecessary cosmetic defects.

Liquid heaters are made from neutralized chemical compounds and are absolutely safe for humans and animals.

Pile or fleecy species insulation materials are known to many people from childhood, mainly because felt is their main representative to this day. At the present stage, there are also synthetic analogues of fleecy insulation, but since the felt is made from pure wool, despite its certain features (in particular, it is not so easy to attach it to the doors), this is still its indisputable advantage. There are different types of felt that have a specific designation, but any option is suitable for doors, the main thing is to cut the material correctly, having made the necessary measurements before that.

Of synthetic pile materials, it is often popular thin pile tape on an adhesive basis. Its task is not to let dust into the room. It is rarely used as a door seal, but it is often used for installation on the doors of sliding wardrobes.

There is also the most expensive, but at the same time reliable TEP sealant, in the production of which thermoplastic elastomers are used. These materials are highly wear-resistant, which is why manufacturers claim that they can last from 15 to 20 years without replacement. High-tech flexible plastic is able to withstand extremely low temperatures and provides excellent thermal insulation even in freezing temperatures below 50 degrees. In addition to the high cost, such a seal is distinguished by a certain difficulty in its installation, but if all conditions are met, its price will justify itself very quickly.

Dimensions (edit)

Seals come in different sizes: thin, thick, wide. Dimensions are selected based on how large the gap or gap is. With a slot width of 1-4 mm, a rectangular profile is used, and the material can be PVC, foam rubber or polyethylene. For gaps with smaller sizes - up to 3 mm, a C-profile sealant, as well as K or E, is suitable. P- and V-profile products cover holes from 3 to 5 mm. Seals with wide cavities inside O and D are intended mainly for entrance doors and are installed in the gaps between the door and the jamb, the dimensions of which can be up to 7 mm.

These products are produced, as a rule, in large rolls. The footage can be different, depending on the manufacturer and the type of sealing material. When buying, you should be guided by the fact that it is necessary to purchase from 5 to 6 meters of insulation for one front door. Slightly less can be spent on interior doors, but it is always better to take it with a small margin: it will never be superfluous on the farm, and if suddenly some part of the sealing tape is worn out, it can always be replaced.

If you need to seal the gap between the door leaf and the jamb, the size of the gap can be removed very simply: you need to insert a piece of plasticine wrapped in plastic wrap between them. You will get an impression, which will help to correctly determine the required width of the seal.

Materials (edit)

Foam seal is one of the most popular and simplest. It has a self-adhesive base with which it can be easily attached to the door. The thickness and texture of the tape may vary. Foam rubber is nailed to wooden door structures with wallpaper nails, and if the front door is made of metal, you can fix the foam rubber with special glue designed for working with metal. The advantage of foam rubber has always been its low cost and availability for everyone, however, it is known that its service life ends very quickly: often the foam insulation is barely enough for one season, and in especially unfavorable weather conditions it can wear out much earlier. Of course, you can always purchase it with a margin, but these features should be borne in mind when buying.

Rubber insulation is rightfully called universal, because it is used to eliminate crevice gaps in both interior and entrance doors. You can work with it by insulating doors made of wood, chipboard and any metal. It can be of two types: either on an adhesive basis, or intended for installation in a door profile specially prepared for it. As you know, there are door models that are already produced with inserts designed to install the future seal.

The undoubted advantage of rubber seals is in their wide range: they are produced in the form of bundles of various diameters or tubular products with a cavity inside. Along with the low cost, rubber has excellent sealing properties. When buying, it is very important to pay attention to its expiration date, as rubber loses its elasticity over time.

Silicone is similar to rubber, but it is softer, more flexible, tears quickly and abrades due to constant mechanical stress. In addition, after a while, it acquires unnecessary stickiness, which is also an inconvenience. However, it also has its own obvious advantages: silicone is very light and aesthetic in appearance, and in addition, it is considered an environmentally friendly material. Therefore, it is he who is most often used to insulate doors in kindergartens, schools, hospitals and clinics, and the ease of use always ensures the absence of serious technical problems if it is necessary to replace it.

Felt seal is certainly familiar to everyone. Along with foam rubber, it is the most popular and well-known material that was widely used in Soviet times. Felt is no less popular in use today, and even against the background of modern high-tech materials, it still has its obvious advantages. Now felt is easy to install and affordable when comparing its cost with TPE seals.

The main advantage of felt is its high wear resistance during operation. This natural and robust material is able to withstand harsh weather conditions and will not wear out over a long period of time, especially if the installation is done correctly and in good faith. Due to the fact that real felt is still made from pure wool, its internal structure does not deteriorate over time, unlike synthetic types of seals, and it can serve for years without losing its original qualities. Felt is very dense, it perfectly absorbs sounds, perfectly retains heat and, contrary to popular belief, is a fireproof material precisely because of its density.

Previously, felt was widely used to insulate any doors and even windows. However, it has several features due to which many consumers still prefer more modern types of materials. Since it is still made from natural wool, following centuries-old traditions with the use of sophisticated technologies, its price is often quite high. In addition, the process of installing felt on the door is not easy, and the master should have certain skills in order to do everything as correctly and accurately as possible. First of all, you will need to independently cut felt strips from sheet material, while other types of seals are already sold in finished form and there are cut-in ones that do not require special preparation.

Colors

At the present stage, you can choose not only a window or door for every taste and color, but also a heater for it. The color range of silicone, PVC and rubber seals is not limited: the white seal is ideal for plastic doors of the same color, and the black rubber material will become a reliable protector from cold weather and extraneous sounds if you attach it to the front door. Classic black and white colors have their own specific field of application: it is clear that black seals are better suited for massive doors made of iron or any other metal, while white ones can hide cosmetic defects and gaps in interior doors.

For colored metal-plastic doors, multi-colored seals are provided, which, as already mentioned, can always be purchased from the same manufacturing firms that produce doors. Transparent silicone types are suitable for those door owners who want the material used to be as less noticeable on the surface as possible and at the same time perform its main functions.

Manufacturers

The leading manufacturer of expensive but reliable seals is LLC "Gasket" Is a Russian company specializing in thermoplastic elastomers. The assortment includes not only ready-made seals: at the request of the customer, it is possible to make measurements and provide a product of any non-standard dimensions, taking into account the peculiarities of a particular door structure.

Volzhsky RTI Plant since the Soviet era, it has been producing rubber products on an organosilicon basis. Now this plant produces rubber door heaters of various standard sizes and profiles, intended for general consumption. The quality of rubber is high, such materials serve for a long time, and their price is very reasonable.

LLC PKF "Kazpolimer"- an enterprise located in Kazan and is engaged in the production of all spectrums of PVC and plastic seals. The assortment includes heaters for both entrance and interior doors, as well as materials with which you can eliminate cracks not only in doors, but also in furniture, both new and old.

Firm "Bars-profile" from St. Petersburg has long been engaged in the production of various seals from wear-resistant PVC materials for doors of any type. The company mainly specializes in insulation according to the European model for both doors and windows, producing products of virtually any color and profile, already prepared in advance for different types of doors. This company operates in full compliance with the quality requirements of GOST.

Kazan firm "Polinor" specializes in paints and varnishes and products for construction, but it is she who produces high-quality liquid seal for entrance metal doors of the same name. It is environmentally friendly and easy to use: in order to apply it correctly in the right place, it will be enough to carefully read the instructions.

Which to choose?

Before buying, it does not hurt to test the seal yourself for its quality. To do this, you just need to lightly press on it. If the quality is good, then the material returns to its previous shape in a few seconds, and if it is bad, it will remain in a “squeezed” position or straighten, but already with traces of obvious deformation. It is not recommended to purchase such a seal, and you should not look at the fact that it can be cheap: it will wear out very quickly or tear when it comes into contact with the door structure, unable to withstand constant mechanical stress.

For the front door, as a rule, dense rubber seals are used, having both tubular and rectangular shapes, depending on the size of the slots and the "age" of the door. If we are talking about the metal one-piece structure of the door frame, it can be insulated with a liquid material by carefully spraying it from a cylinder. Magnetic heaters are ideal for steel and iron doors - they will provide the most tight closing, but will make the already weighty structure somewhat heavier. Magnetic heaters, as well as TEP-options will serve for a long time, being fixed on movable pendulum structures.

Outside and street doors can be insulated with felt, of course, by inviting an experienced craftsman for this and taking into account all the necessary costs associated with the material and the process of work itself. Also, magnetic insulation (if we are talking about external metal doors) will be an excellent and less energy-consuming option. It should be borne in mind that felt can be used to insulate door porches, its dimensions, due to the specifics of the material, can be "customized" in the course of work.

In a log house, special attention should be paid to fire safety, therefore, for any wooden door (made of oak or other wood material), a good alternative would be to use a thermally expanding insulation, which, in the event of a fire hazard, will prevent oxygen from entering the room, which can prevent the rapid spread of flame.

As for the interior doors in general (including sliding and compartment doors), in this case, you can use seals of a more aesthetic appearance, made of soft silicone or plastic of the corresponding color. Since we are talking about moving structures, it would be better, in addition to the adhesive base available for the seals, to additionally fix it with glue on wood or chipboard, depending on the material from which the door is made.

By the way, to prevent the accumulation of dust and dirt in the sliding structures of cassette-type doors, a fleecy tape on a self-adhesive base, which is not very popular among door seals, is ideal, which is used to eliminate small gaps in wardrobes, dressers and other furniture.

For a balcony door, a narrow rubber insulation on an adhesive basis is usually used, but if you still want to save money, you can also use foam rubber. If the balcony door is part of a double-glazed window, it will be easy to install any plastic seal on it. If the balcony door is old, wooden, with many slots and gaps, wide felt strips can be fixed along the perimeter of the door, following the dimensions of the gaps, and small gaps can be eliminated using specially cut felt gaskets.