How to replace door weatherstripping

Updated October 2, 2026. By the OakTend team.

Weatherstripping is the flexible seal around the edges of an exterior door. On most newer doors it is a foam or rubber strip pressed into a slot (a kerf) in the door frame, plus a sweep or seal along the bottom. Replacing it means pulling the old strip out and pressing in a new one.

How often: No agency sets a schedule. Check every exterior door, and the garage door, each fall before the wind and rain, and replace a seal that is torn or flattened.
What you need: Replacement kerf weatherstrip that matches your door's profile, Scissors, Tape measure, Screwdriver, Flashlight

Why it matters

Weatherstripping doors is one of the simple air sealing fixes ENERGY STAR lists for comfort and lower energy bills. Here it also matters in fire season: CAL FIRE's low-cost retrofit list includes weatherstripping the garage door so Santa Ana winds cannot blow embers inside. Our wildfire guide covers the rest of the house.

Steps

Close the door and look for daylight around the edges from inside. The Department of Energy calls visible daylight and a loose-fitting door the common signs of a leak.
Fix the door first if it needs it: tighten loose hinge screws and adjust the strike plate so the door closes snugly.
Pull the old strip out of the slot in the door stop. Most come out by hand.
Measure each side and the top, and cut the new strip to length with scissors.
Press the new strip into the slot by hand along its full length.
Close the door and check that it latches without forcing and that no daylight shows.
Replace a worn door sweep or bottom seal too, following its package directions.
At the garage door, look for gaps over 1/8 inch along the sides, top and bottom. Seal them with weatherstripping that meets UL Standard 10C, which CAL FIRE's list calls for.

When to call a pro

Call a handyman or door installer if the door is warped, rubs the frame or has no slot for a press-in strip. If a garage door seal cannot go on without moving hardware, call a garage door company.

Safety

Do not loosen garage door brackets, cables or springs to fit a seal. The springs are under high tension and only a garage door technician should touch them.

Go deeper

Santa Ana wind and wildfire prep

General information, not professional advice. Your equipment's manual comes first when it says something different.

Sources

ENERGY STAR: seal and insulate
Simple air sealing fixes include weatherstripping doors; sealing and insulating improves comfort and can cut annual energy bills.
U.S. Department of Energy: weatherization job aid, install weatherstripping on an exterior door
Visible daylight or a loose-fitting door are common signs of air leakage; adjust loose hinges, knobs and strike plates before weatherstripping; measure each side; check the door operates smoothly afterward.
M-D Building Products: top and sides door seal for doors with a kerf
Replacement strips press into the kerf in the door stop by hand and cut to length with scissors.
CAL FIRE: low-cost retrofit list (January 2026)
Weatherstrip gaps greater than 1/8 inch between garage doors and door frames to keep embers out, using weatherstripping that complies with UL Standard 10C.
DASMA: automatic garage door opener safety and maintenance guide
Garage door springs are under high tension; only qualified individuals should adjust them.