Exterior Installations
Weather Stripping & Seal Installation Stop Drafts, Lower Bills, Keep Bugs Out
Worn weather stripping is one of the most common — and most overlooked — sources of energy loss in a home. NorTech replaces seals on all exterior doors and windows: V-strip, door sweeps, threshold seals, foam compression seals, and garage door bottom seals.
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Weather Stripping Service
Professional Weather Stripping & Seal Installation
Most homeowners don’t think about weather stripping until the heating bill spikes, bugs appear in rooms with no obvious entry, or they can feel cold air around a door they just closed. By that point the seals have usually been failing for a year or more — worn flat, cracked from UV exposure, or pulled loose from repeated door operation.
NorTech handles the full job: inspect every exterior door and window, remove the failed material cleanly, install the correct seal type for each location, and test for drafts before leaving. We carry V-strip, foam tape, door sweeps, threshold seals, bulb seals, and garage door bottom seals on every truck — most whole-home jobs are completed in a single visit.
The US Department of Energy estimates that air leaks through gaps around doors and windows account for 25–30% of a typical home’s heating and cooling costs. Replacing failed weather stripping is one of the highest-return energy improvements you can make — written estimate before any work begins.
Signs You Need New Weather Stripping
How to Know Your Weather Stripping Is Failing
Weather stripping fails gradually — most homeowners don’t notice until one of these signs becomes obvious.
Visible Daylight Around Doors
Close an exterior door and look at the frame edges in a dim room. Any visible light means there’s a gap large enough to let air, insects, and moisture through.
Drafts Near Closed Doors
Hold your hand near the edges of a closed exterior door on a cold or windy day. A detectable airflow means the perimeter seal has failed and is no longer compressing against the frame.
Unexplained Energy Bill Increases
If heating or cooling costs have risen without a change in usage habits, air leaks at doors and windows are one of the first places to check. Failed seals on just three doors can significantly affect HVAC load.
Insects Getting Inside
Ants, gnats, and small insects can enter through gaps as small as 1/16 of an inch. If you’re seeing insects inside rooms with no open windows, failed door or window seals are often the entry point.
Cracked or Flattened Seal Material
Look at the weather stripping on your door frame. If it’s visibly cracked, compressed flat, pulling away from the surface, or brittle to the touch, it is no longer sealing effectively.
Moisture or Water Under Doors
Water appearing under an exterior door during rain indicates the threshold seal or door sweep has failed. Left unaddressed, this causes subfloor damage and mold risk over time.
All Seal Types
Every Type of Weather Seal We Install
Different locations require different seal types. Here’s what each one is, where it goes, and why it matters.
V-Strip (Tension Seal)
Folded metal or plastic strip that springs open to fill gaps on the sides and top of doors and windows. Long-lasting and effective on sliding and hinged surfaces. Fits inside the channel where the door meets the stop.
Door sides, window channels
Foam Tape Seals
Adhesive-backed closed-cell foam that compresses to fill irregular gaps. Best for surfaces that don’t close with high force. Available in various widths and densities for different gap sizes.
Window frames, door stops, irregular gaps
Door Sweeps
Attached to the bottom of the door itself. Brushes or rubber blade presses against the threshold as the door closes, sealing the gap at the bottom. Available in surface-mount and under-door profiles.
Bottom of all exterior doors
Threshold Seals
Part of the threshold assembly on the floor. Creates a seal against the bottom of the door from the floor side. Works best when paired with a door sweep for a complete bottom seal system.
Door threshold, floor level
Compression Bulb Seals
Rubber or vinyl tubing that compresses when the door or window closes. Provides an excellent air and water seal on door stops and frame perimeters. Common on exterior French doors and high-performance doors.
Door stops, French doors, high-performance sealing
Garage Door Bottom Seals
Rubber T-slot or nail-on profiles that seal the gap between the garage door bottom and the floor. Prevents air, water, and pests from entering under the door. One of the most common infiltration points in homes with attached garages.
Garage door bottom
Energy Efficiency Impact
What Replacing Weather Stripping Actually Does for Your Energy Bills
Weather stripping is one of the most cost-effective home improvements available. The numbers are well-documented.
25–30%
Of heating & cooling energy lost through air leaks in a typical home
3–5 Years
Average lifespan of standard weather stripping before it needs replacement
Under 1 Year
Typical payback period on weather stripping replacement in drafty homes
Source: US Department of Energy. Results vary by home size, climate, and number of entry points sealed. A whole-home weather stripping replacement on a house with significant air leaks produces the most measurable results.
Transparent Pricing
What Affects the Cost of Weather Stripping Installation?
Weather stripping is one of the most affordable exterior services we offer. Here’s what drives the quote.
A single exterior door is a 45–90 minute job. A whole-home project covering all exterior doors and windows typically takes 3–6 hours. Per-door cost decreases on larger projects since drive time and setup are shared. Most customers find it more cost-effective to do all entry points in one visit.
Standard foam tape and V-strip are low-cost materials. Door sweeps, threshold seals, and compression bulb seals involve slightly more material and installation time. Garage door bottom seals are a separate line item. We quote each seal type separately so you can see exactly what you’re getting.
Removing old adhesive-backed foam tape cleanly takes time — especially if it has been on for years and left residue on the door frame. Old V-strip or tack-nailed seal strips require careful removal to avoid damaging the frame. We factor removal time into the quote on a per-door basis.
If a door is sagging, misaligned, or not closing squarely against the stop, weather stripping alone won’t fully solve the problem. We identify door alignment issues during the inspection and quote hinge adjustment or strike plate correction separately. Addressing the alignment first makes the new seals far more effective.
If the threshold itself is worn, cracked, or damaged — not just the seal insert — replacing the full threshold assembly is the better solution. Threshold replacement is a separate service quoted on-site after we assess the condition of the existing threshold and door clearance.
Every job starts with a full on-site diagnostic. You receive a complete written estimate before any work begins.
Customer Reviews
What Homeowners Say About Our Weather Stripping Service
“Had all four exterior doors done in one visit. The tech tested every door after sealing and you could immediately feel the difference on the front door — no more cold air coming through the bottom corners.”
— Portia S.“Garage door bottom seal was completely gone. New seal installed in about 30 minutes. No more draft coming through the garage into the laundry room. Simple fix but made a real difference.”
— Olusegun B.“The tech found that my back door was slightly misaligned before replacing the weather stripping. He adjusted the hinge AND replaced the seals. Now the door closes with a tight seal it never had before.”
— Miriam C.“Had a persistent ant problem near the front door. After replacing the threshold seal and door sweep, completely gone. The gap at the bottom was the entry point the whole time.”
— Kwame D.“All windows and doors done same day. Energy bill dropped the following month — not dramatically, but noticeably. The house feels more sealed and the HVAC isn’t cycling as often.”
— Guadalupe R.“French doors in the back were letting in cold air badly. New compression bulb seals on both doors, new threshold seal — completely solved. The tech knew exactly which seal type to use for that door style.”
— Aleksei V.Frequently Asked Questions
Weather Stripping & Seal Installation — Common Questions
Straight answers on seal types, energy savings, door sweeps, and what to expect.
NorTech weather stripping installation includes a full perimeter inspection of all exterior doors and windows, removal of failed or worn existing seals, installation of the correct seal type for each location, and a draft test after installation to confirm the seal is effective. We carry V-strip, foam tape, door sweeps, threshold seals, and compression bulb seals on every truck.
Signs that weather stripping needs replacement include visible daylight around a closed door or window, drafts you can feel when standing near a closed exterior door, increased heating or cooling bills with no other explanation, insects getting inside despite no obvious entry point, and visible cracking, compression, or separation of the existing seal material. Most weather stripping has a lifespan of 3 to 5 years before it loses its sealing ability.
NorTech installs V-strip (tension seal) weather stripping for door and window sides, foam tape for irregular gaps and compression sealing, door sweeps for the bottom of exterior doors, threshold seals for the door-to-floor gap, compression bulb seals for door stops and frames, and adhesive-backed rubber or foam seals for windows and sliding doors.
Yes. The US Department of Energy estimates that air leaks through gaps around doors and windows account for 25 to 30 percent of heating and cooling energy use in a typical home. Replacing failed weather stripping on all exterior entry points is one of the highest-return energy efficiency improvements available — with payback periods often under one year.
A door sweep attaches to the bottom of the door itself and brushes or presses against the floor or threshold as the door closes. A threshold seal is part of the threshold assembly on the floor and creates a seal against the bottom of the door. Both address the gap at the bottom of the door, but from opposite sides. In many cases, replacing both produces the best seal.
Yes. We replace weather stripping on exterior doors, sliding glass doors, casement windows, double-hung windows, and French doors. Window weather stripping typically uses V-strip or foam compression seals fitted into the channel around the sash. We inspect all exterior windows during the on-site assessment and include window sealing in the written estimate.
A single exterior door typically takes 45 to 90 minutes to fully restrip including removal of old material, cleaning the surface, and installing new seals on all four sides plus the sweep. A whole-home project covering all exterior doors and windows typically takes 3 to 6 hours depending on the number of entry points.
Yes. We replace the bottom seal on garage doors as well as the side and top stop molding seals. Garage door bottom seals are one of the most common points of air and water infiltration in homes with attached garages. We carry standard T-slot and nail-on bottom seal profiles on our trucks.
Weather stripping fails primarily due to UV exposure, which makes rubber and foam brittle and causes cracking. Repeated compression from door and window operation causes permanent deformation over time. Moisture causes foam seals to deteriorate and adhesive seals to lose their bond. Most exterior weather stripping needs replacement every 3 to 5 years in climates with significant sun or temperature extremes.
Yes. All weather stripping and seal installations completed by NorTech are covered by our 1-year labor warranty. If a seal comes loose, detaches, or fails to seal due to installation defects within 12 months, we return and correct it at no charge.
Service Territory
Weather Stripping Installation Near You
NorTech replaces weather stripping and door seals across 100+ cities nationwide — with high demand in both cold-weather and hot-climate markets.
View our full service territory →Ready to Seal Your Home Against Drafts?
Get a free quote in 2–4 hours. We inspect every exterior door and window, confirm which seals need replacing, and hand you a written estimate before any work begins.
