Are you planning a home energy efficiency makeover? Start off by breaking the project into smaller pieces, such as focusing on one room or part of your home. A great place to start is with your home’s doors. Here are a few ways to make the doors in your home more energy efficient:

Make These Simple Switches

Replace old doors.

If your home is older, chances are the exterior doors have not been replaced in quite awhile. Newer door models are designed to fit into place better and therefore, provide more insulation to the home. Be sure to choose a new energy efficient door that suits the climate you live in and your home’s design to maximize the energy savings.

Replace screen doors.

Do your exterior doors currently have a screen door in front of them? Replace these screen doors with a storm door for added insulation and energy savings. Screen doors do not provide any additional insulation, leaving your home vulnerable to energy loss through the front door. This tip is especially important when the front door behind the screen is older. In this case, a storm door will protect the front door and eliminate the need to replace it. In this regard klarwindows can help you for external door replacement.

Stop These Bad Habits

Leaving the drapes open.

Many doors have glass windows to give you a beautiful glimpse into your back or front yard, however these windows also can overly heat or cool a home depending on the season. In the summer, close the drapes during the hottest hours of the day to prevent your cooling system from having to work in overdrive. In colder months, closing the drapes can reduce heat loss in a room by up to 10%! Remember to keep the drapes closed when you’re not enjoying the view to help your home become more energy efficient.

Tackle These Projects

Weatherstripping.

Applying weatherstripping around the doors in your home can help prevent air leaks that cause energy losses. Be sure to choose a type of weatherstripping that will last well with the amount of foot traffic that passes through the door. It is recommended that a tension seal be used on the top and sides of the door and reinforced foam used on the bottom for this purpose. Once you’ve purchased the necessary materials from a local hardware store, this project can be done without the help of a professional, just remember these basic guidelines:

• Only apply the weatherstripping to clean and dry surfaces, otherwise it will not stay in place.
• Before cutting into the material, double check that you have measured the space correctly to avoid an unnecessary return trip to the hardware store.
• Be sure to use one continuous strip for each side and check that the weatherstripping meets together tightly in the corners.

Once it has been applied, weatherstripping will prevent cool or warm air from leaking out of your home, thus increasing the efficiency of your heating and cooling system.

Even though these tips apply to such a small part of your home, the doors, you will be pleasantly surprised what a big difference they make!