How to Insulate a Steel Entry Door

How to Insulate a Steel Entry Door
Written By
Michelle Hogan
Michelle Hogan
Published: Aug 31, 2011
Updated: Nov 20, 2021
2 minute read

However, it is important to insulate your steel door well, to keep drafts from coming into the home. The door itself can also transfer cold into the house if it's not well insulated, but there are measures you can take that will help.

Things You Will Need

  • Weather stripping
  • Door sweep
  • Blanket
  • Nails
  1. Check the door for proper installation. The door should be tight in the jamb, but not so tight that it doesn't swing. Check the hinges for sagging and look for any other gaps. Reset the door if it is not properly installed.

  2. Apply weather stripping around the door jamb to prevent drafts from coming in around the sides of the home. Add up the length of each side of the door to figure how much you will need. Choose a weather stripping product appropriate for your location, such as vinyl or metal weather stripping for regions with harsher winters.

  3. Apply a door sweep to the bottom of the door to keep drafts out. These are simple to install and can adjust for different threshold materials.

  4. Fill the spaces around the door jamb with spray foam insulation to prevent drafts from seeping in around the door. Often, it is difficult to determine exactly where a draft is coming from -- or there may be a lot of little areas causing the draft. Spray foam gets into these smaller spaces and then expands, filling them up and creating an effective barrier.

  5. Hang a blanket over the door in extremely cold weather to prevent the transfer of cold into the room. Hammer nails in through the top of the blanket and let it hang over the door. Though this is not the most attractive solution and can be cumbersome to get through, it is extremely effective at keeping the cold out during the coldest spells.

The Drip Cap

  • Steel entry doors are economical, fire-safe and durable.
  • The door itself can also transfer cold into the house if it's not well insulated, but there are measures you can take that will help.
  • Check the door for proper installation.
  • Apply a door sweep to the bottom of the door to keep drafts out.
  • Though this is not the most attractive solution and can be cumbersome to get through, it is extremely effective at keeping the cold out during the coldest spells.

Photo Credits

NA/AbleStock.com/Getty Images

NA/AbleStock.com/Getty Images

Michelle Hogan

Michelle Hogan is a writer and the author of 13 books including the 2005 bestselling memoir, "Without a Net: Middle Class and Homeless (With Kids) in America." Hogan studied English at American University and has been writing…

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