Q. Both my front and back doors are original and drafty. One is wood, and one steel. I would like to improve their efficiency without replacing them. What should I do?
A. Entry doors that were of reasonably good quality can often be repaired or even improved, but not always. Inspect each of the doors, particularly the wood door, carefully. Check to see whether the wood door is warped. If it is, it will probably have to be replaced.
Steel doors generally do not warp, but they can rust. Inspect the areas near the bottom where the weatherstripping attaches. These areas tend to allow water to collect and are the first to rust. If you find rust, it can be repaired with automobile body filler, but replacing it is best. Assuming your doors are not beyond repair, check for the sources of the air leakage. Often, the latch is worn and it is not holding the door tightly against the weatherstripping.
Push the door closed as tight as you can with your hand to see whether the draft stops. Check the condition on the latch plate to see whether it is worn. If so, you can just replace it. If the deadbolt latch itself is worn, you may be able to reposition the latch plate. This requires using a chisel to remove some of the wood and then drilling two new holes to reattach it.
Another option is to purchase an adjustable latch plate. This allows you to adjust how tight the door closes against the weatherstripping. Mag Security makes one that is easy to install. It has two pieces. One is attached to the door frame. An adjustable second piece, which catches the door latch, attaches to the first piece.
Another common spot for air leakage is the threshold area. The seal there gets worn down or just loses its resiliency over time and allows air through. Most threshold seals can be adjusted higher to seal against the door bottom. The screw heads may be filled with dirt and difficult to find, so clean it with a wire brush to find them.
Replacement threshold seals are available and easy to install. If the door opens over carpet, consider installing an automatic retractable seal.
Check the condition of the hinges. If they are worn, the door will not hang squarely. This may create gaps around weatherstripping that is still in good condition. Although air likely is not leaking through any glass in the door, cover it with a piece of clear acrylic to create an insulating air gap.
Q. I just installed a new flapper valve in the toilet tank because the old one did not seal properly. Now I have to hold the flush lever down for a while to make it flush properly. What did I do wrong?
A. This is not uncommon; you probably installed it properly. It sounds as though you bought a water-saving flapper valve (fits in the tank bottom). These often require a slightly longer hold for flushing. Also, make sure the chain connecting the lever to the flapper does not have excessive slack. If the flapper has adjustable hole sizes, try different settings.
