How to Replace a Storm Door Sweep

A storm door sweep is a panel located at the base of your door that is used to keep air flow from entering or escaping the building, and to keep out unwanted bugs and pests. This unit is pretty standard on all types of doors, and the doors thickness will determine what size of replacement you are going to need. The bottom of most modern doors have slots built into them, so that the old sweep can simply be pulled off and the new one slipped on in its place. Some alterations may need to be done for older doors, such as having to take the door off the hinges, and removing the old sweep with a hammer or pry bar, before nailing a new one into place. We are about to go into detail about how to change a door sweep on a modern slotted door that is ready for sweep maintenance from wear and tare.

Step 1 - Open the Door to 45 Degrees

The first thing to do is open the door to reveal its edge, here on the side on the base of the door, you should see a plastic or rubber cap at its base, this is your storm door sweep. Start the removal process by placing your right hand on the door near the door latch or lock, and then reaching down to the end of the door sweep with your left hand. Grab the base of the door sweep, and gently pull toward you, and the plastic or rubber lining will start to come free from the door, sliding outward from the doors base. At this angle, it will be easier to do the work that is needed, without having to remove the door from the hinges.

Step 2 - Remove the Actual Sweep Channel

The next section to your storm door sweep is the actual channel that hooks to the door, that the rubber connects to. Take your pair of pliers and grab the outside edge of the sweep gently by the tip and slowly pull it out as well. Once you have this out, you will notice the slotted notches on the bottom of the door that held the old sweep into place, you will be using this to mount the new one.

Step 3 - Install the New Sweep

Look at your new storm door sweep, and you will see two lips or edges on the tips of it, that run down the length or the material. You will want to line these up with the slots on the base of your door and begin to push the new part on. Slowly feed the sweep onto the door until you can not slide it on my hand any longer. Then take a rubber mallet and gently tap it onto the door the rest of the way until it lines up flush on the edges. Do not be alarmed that you only have 1 piece to your new sweep and removed 2 from the original. This is due to manufacturer changes in the material to provide more cost efficient replacements for doors and windows.