I have a French door that is drafty, I can’t find the air leak.
by Bill
+2
5 answers
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![Nancy Turner]()
Nancy Turner
on Dec 26, 2017
Light a candle, or if you know someone that smokes get them to light one up. Slowly go around the doors and see if you can that way find the spot where the smoke blows the smoke in a different direction. That should give you an idea of where you need to work to get rid of the leak. Make sure you go around every area top and bottom and side to side to see if it is coming from around the outside edges or perhaps inside the frame by the glass. You never know where it could be coming from. Check around the door knobs and latches, too. -
![FL]()
FL
on Dec 26, 2017
"It can be harder to regulate the temperature of a room with French doors, especially if they are drafty. Doors allow more air to escape than windows, and because French doors offer twice as many seams and gaps for air to leak in or out, proper weatherstripping is key to keeping cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Use different weatherstripping methods to secure your room from the elements." https://www.hunker.com/12000620/how-to-fix-drafty-french-doors -
![DW]()
DW
on Dec 26, 2017
Try an incense stick...light, shut the door and SLOWLY move the stick along the closed door jam, including the hinge side. if you have a leak you will see the smoke move.. -
![Cindy]()
Cindy
on Dec 26, 2017
Use a lighter (or any other source of flame) and slowly go around the perimeter of the door. When you see the flame flicker, or go out completely, that is the point where the air is coming in. -
![Dfm]()
Dfm
on Dec 26, 2017
find an incense stick....light it up- it will smoke a bit but that's the good part. a draft will move the smoke away from the air leak. if incense doesn't agree with you, a lit candle will work nearly as well- just be a bit more careful.if you still cant find the air leak, give it a full air stopping beauty treatment.take a piece of paper just one sheet...put it above the latches- close the french doors on it. can you pull it out? if no is the answer- you're good. if the paper drops to the floor- that"s a problem. there are different thicknesses of a foam weather stripping find the one that will fill the gaps when the doors are butted up to each other. look up...any daylight from the top of the door? if so foam there as well. then look at the hinged side any gaps over there? yup more foam strip. look down -any gap under the door? trust me don't foam strip it.for the floor the better product is a funky looking plastic/ vynial strip, it comes sized to fit a door has its own adhesive strip and it comes in a few basic colors- white, brown. there is also another model that just slips onto the the bottom of the door and it has a few fins to stop the air. also makes a nice light blocker for when i sleep days and go in for the 3rd shift.next, if the door has windows--glass and wood don't have the same amount of shrink-ability, you may need to take some caulking to where glass meets wood. there are many styles of caulking. some are done with cartridges, some come in a box and look like clay ribbons.
Nancy Turner
on Dec 26, 2017
FL
on Dec 26, 2017
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