Tips for Selecting the right weatherstripping
Tips for Selecting the right weatherstripping
by Paul Bianchina
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Air infiltration — the movement of outside air into and out of your home — can account for a significant amount of heat loss, and the resulting air currents can make a home feel uncomfortably drafty.
When it comes to air infiltration some of the most common culprits are exterior doors, so a few weekend hours devoted to some new weatherstripping can have some pretty dramatic results.
Selecting the right weatherstripping
The type of weatherstripping to use depends somewhat on the type of door and frame you have, and also on how much time and effort you want to devote to the task.
The easiest and least expensive is foam, but, while it’s better than nothing, foam doesn’t form a tight, uniform seal and is also easily damaged. Foam weatherstripping comes in rolls of different widths and thicknesses, and is self-adhesive. It is applied to the inside edge of the door stop — the wood strips mounted on the door frame that the door closes against — and is designed to form a seal when the door closes against it. Select a foam that is the same width as the thickness of the door stop — typically 1/2 inch — and that is thick enough to close the gap between the door and the stop. Simply cut the foam to length with a pair of scissors, peel off the backing paper, and press it firmly against the door stop.
A better choice is a compression weatherstripping, which also fits between the door and the door stop to seal off air leaks, but has the advantage of being easier to adjust and considerably more durable. One type of compression weatherstripping is a semi-rigid, high-density foam strip that mounts into a slot in the door stop. Most new doors now come with this type of weatherstripping, and if you need to replace an existing piece on one of your doors, installation is simply a matter of cutting the replacement material to length and tucking the flange on the weatherstripping into the slot on the door stop. If your door does not currently have this type of weatherstripping, adding it would necessitate removing the door stops, cutting a slot along one edge, then reinstalling them.
Almost as effective — and easier to install — is vinyl bulb weatherstripping. Vinyl bulb weatherstripping has a tough, hollow strip of vinyl set in a rigid piece of aluminum, and a complete weatherstripping kit contains two long pieces for sides of the door, one short piece for the top, and all the necessary screws or nails for installation. To install, cut the short piece to fit between the door stops. Close the door, place the weatherstripping on the face of the door stop so that the vinyl bulb is slightly compressed against the face of the door, and nail it in place. Then simply repeat the process with the two side pieces.
To complete any door weatherstripping operation, don’t forget the gap between the bottom of the door and the wood or metal door sill. The simplest way to close this off is to use a door sweep, which is a flat aluminum strip with a piece of vinyl weatherstripping in one edge — simply screw the strip to the outer face of the door so that the vinyl makes contact with the sill and covers the gap.
More effective, however, is the door bottom, which is an L- or U-shaped aluminum strip with a curved vinyl insert on the bottom. The metal fits over the very bottom of the door, and is adjusted up or down so that the vinyl forms a complete seal against the sill. Installation may require removing the door and cutting a little bit off the bottom to accommodate the thickness of the metal and vinyl.
All of these types of weatherstripping are available at home centers, lumber yards, hardware stores and discount stores, and typically come with complete installation instructions and all of the necessary hardware for fast and easy installation.
Remodeling and repair questions? Paul at [ protected]. What’s your opinion? Leave your comments below or send a letter to the editor. To contact the writer, click the byline at the top of the story.
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See Paul Bianchina’s feature, Concrete Painting 101.
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Seal Strip Shapes: A Complete Guide - Seashore Rubber
Seal strips are typically made of polymers and elastomers produced from extrusion molding. There are hundreds of seal strip shapes available in the market. Why such diversity of shapes? Because each industry and application has different requirements for different seal shapes. Customers who download our product catalog know about various seashore rubber products.
This article will only discuss the most popular and common seal strip applications. We will also highlight the specific application for each seal strip shape. It is important to note that you can directly visit the product’s profile by clicking on the link attached to the respective seal strip shape names.
Different Seal Strip Shapes
This diversity of the seal strip shapes is the wide range of applications. Seal strips are famous for eliminating noise and vibration. It also helps seal gaps around the doors and windows or prevents contaminants from entering vehicles or houses. On the other hand, we know that these applications’ infrastructure types are also vast. So, every kind of structure requires a unique seal strip shape.
We have covered all types of seal shapes for most sealing applications for any infrastructure. Seashorerubber offers exclusively designed seal shapes. These seal strips are perfect for garage doors and windows to automobile windshields and panes. The specially designed plastic and rubber compound for each product ensures long-lasting protection. The following list will discuss the twelve most popular seal strip shapes.
U Shape Seal Strips
This type of seal strip usually looks like the English letter “U” on the cross-section of the product. You may find several types of U shape seal strips. The types are channel seals, section strips, solid seals, silicone rubber seals, channel weather Stripping, etc.
Advantages:
- Aging resistance
- Waterproof
- Good resilience
- Anti-collision
- Wear-resistant
- Flame retardant
- Long life
- Anti-stress
- Acid and alkali resistance
- Anti-UV
Applications:
U shape seal strips are prevalent in medical industries, scientific research, and food processing. It is also famous for weatherstripping cabinets and apartments. Moreover, the additional applications include optical fiber cables, electrical parts, hydraulic tanks, etc.
- Car
- Chemical industry
- Meter
- Mechanical
- Furniture
- Electronic appliances
D Shape Seal Strips
This type of seal strip shape is one of the most popular weather stripping in most applications. A typical D shaped seal strip has a half-moon bulb and a flat bottom. The half-moon bulb withstands high pressure. On the other hand, the flat bottom part contains adhesive, which helps with sticky attachment. D shaped seal strip materials, usually sponge rubber. It can ensure superior sealing under pressure.
Advantages:
- Thermal insulation
- Waterproof
- Super elastic
- Cushioning
- Non-absorbent
- Weather resistance
Applications:
This seal shape is prevalent in a mobile equipment cabin or machine enclosure. On the other hand, D shape seal strips are also used to seal gaps between long sheet metal and the other surface. Other applications include door edges, window seals, automotive seals, hydraulic equipment, etc.
- Car
- Doors and windows
- Mechanical
E Shape Seal Strips
E shaped seal strips usually resemble the small English letter ‘e’ at the cross-sectional area. Like D shape seal strips, the half-moon part of the E shape seal supports high compression. The flat bottom helps in attachment with the projected application surface. E shape seal strips usually come as extruded silicone rubber for a channel, section strips, and weatherstripping.
Advantages:
- Tightness
- Heat resistant
- Aging resistance
- Shockproof
- Sound insulation
Applications:
E shape seal strips are trendy in food processing applications. In this application, mechanical fastening is more efficient and safer than adhesive. E shape seal strips are also famous in automotive, high-voltage insulation, and cabinet door seals. Also, some military applications might require this type of seal strip.
- Steel doors and windows
- Aluminum alloy doors and windows
- wooden doors and windows
T Shape Seal Strips
This seal shape has a flat surface or curved top and a “T” shape cross-section. This type of seal shape is widespread and a great sealing agent to prevent leakage from gaps or cracks. T shape seal strips may include channel seal strips, flat T seals, section rubber strips, rubber trims, and weatherstripping. This type of seal strip material may consist of natural rubber, neoprene, EPDM, nitrile, and SBR.
Advantages:
- Aging resistance
- Pollution-free
- Long life
- High and low-temperature resistance
- Good sealing effect
- Corrosion resistance
- Good resilience
- Tear resistance
- Waterproof
Applications:
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Weatherstripping Manufacturers.
T shape seal strips are widely popular in hydraulic systems where fluid leakage is a concern. It is also prevalent in doors and windows, electrical cabinets, food processing, etc.
- Shipbuilding industry
- Instrumentation
- Telecommunications Industry
- Medical career
P Shape Seal Strips
This seal shape has one flat surface and a full moon part. It looks like the English capital letter “P” at the cross-section of the seal strips. P shape seal strips come as P shape seals, channel seal strips, section strips, and P shape weatherstrips. These types of seal shapes offer better performance and flexibility.
Advantages:
- Weather resistance
- Non-absorbent
- Thermal insulation
- Cushioning
- High and low-temperature resistance
Applications:
P shape seal strips are prevalent as weather stripping in many industries. This seal shape is also popular in food, dairy, and pharmaceutical applications. Besides, this seal shape is also used in the laboratory where sealing is crucial for dust control.
- Precision machinery
- Medical equipment
- Furniture
- Vehicle
- Ship
- Pipeline
- Lamps
H Shape Seal Strips
This seal shape usually includes H shape silicone rubber seals, H rubber channel seals, and H shape section rubber seals. This seal strip type is traditionally used for high-temperature resistance ranging from -65°F to +400 °F.
Advantages:
- Preservative
- Aging resistance
- High and low-temperature resistance
- Not easily deformed
- Long-lasting
- Insulation
- Good elasticity
Applications:
H shape seal strips are prevalent in various applications such as rail, aerospace, and civil engineering. Besides, it is also widely used in food, dairy, and HVAC applications. Moreover, H shape seal strips are also used in sound and heat insulation.
- Mechanical
- Doors and windows
- Car
L Shape Seal Strips
L shape seal has two consecutive flat surfaces. It looks like the English capital letter “L” at the cross-sectional area. These seal strips usually come as an L shape rubber seal strip, L shape rubber trims, and L shape weather stripping. Depending on your application, you can decide the material’s properties from seashore rubber.
Advantages:
- Aging resistance
- Good sealing performance
- Sound insulation
- Wear resistance
- Anti-collision
- Weather resistance
- Insulation
Applications:
L shape seal strips are prevalent in food, dairy, and pharmaceutical applications. Besides, L shape seal strips are also perfect weather stripping for buildings, cabinets, and automobiles.
- Mechanical
- Car
- Container
J Shape Seal Strips
This seal shape comes in different forms, such as a J-shaped strip with thin and thick walls, flat and curved. Like other shapes, J shape seal strips also have diversity in selecting and matching varied materials and colors.
Advantages:
- Anti-corrosion
- Durable
- High and low-temperature resistance
- Strong climate adaptability
Applications:
J shape seal strips are popular in industries where temperature, ozone, electricity, and fungus are concerned. Moreover, these seal strips provide great flexibility and are perfect for electric insulation. Other applications include automobile weather protection, ship container sealing, marine, and aerospace.
- Car doors and windows
- Ship
- Aerospace
V Shape Seal Strips
It is the most popular seal strip widely used in weather protection in apartments and buildings. V shaped seal strips are also known as tensile seals. These seal strips are durable. Above all, v strips are prevalent in most building sealing applications.
Advantages:
- Good sealing performance
- Long life
- Impact resistance
- Shock absorbing
- Insulation
- Good elasticity
Applications:
The common application of v strips or v shape seal strips is weather protection, commonly found in most buildings and apartments. Besides, automobiles, electric cabinets, and hydraulic systems also require v strips or v shape seal strips.
- Car
- Hydraulic system
- Building
Oval Shape Seal Strips
This type of seal shape has a solid oval shape at the cross-section. The typical materials for this type of seal strip are EPDM, silicone rubber, and other elastomers. These materials are highly versatile and provide excellent sealing capabilities. Because of its tangible properties, it can withstand high compression pressure. The typical hardness of this type of seal strip is from 20 shore A to 80 shore A. Shore is a unit of the hardness of a material.
Advantages:
- Weather resistance
- Anti-aging
- Shockproof
- Dust-proof
- Pest control
- Anti-UV
- Chemical resistance
- High and low-temperature resistance
- Good resilience
- Sound insulation
Applications:
This type of seal strip is widely popular in chemical industries. Besides, oval shape seal strips are also prevalent in hydraulic systems, electrical cabinets, etc.
- Pipeline system
- Car
- Mechanical
- Household appliances
- Toy
Bulb and Double Bulb Shape Seal Strips
These seal shapes typically have a single and double half-moon structure at the top and a flat surface at the bottom. As the name implies, these seal strips look like single or double bulbs at the cross-section. Most industries aim to use these seal strip shapes for water and chemical resistance.
Advantages:
- Good elasticity
- Shockproof and waterproof
- Environmental Safety
- Aging resistance
- Alkali resistant
- Sound insulation
- Insulation
- Dust-proof
Applications:
The typical use of bulb seal strips is between the door and the wall, either on the hinge or strike side. These seal strips are also popular in chemical industries, water treatment, food processing, etc.
- Car windows
- Chemical industry
- Food processing
Triangular and Trapezoid Shape Seal Strips
Finally, these two seal strip shapes also made great demand in most industries. These seal strips are typically solid in form. Moreover, they can withstand temperatures from -65 °F to 450 °F. These seal strips offer excellent electric and heat insulation.
Advantages:
- Stretch resistance
- High and low-temperature resistance
- Insulation
- Withstand voltage
- Wear resistance
- Weather resistance
Applications:
These seal strips are popular in the construction, automotive, marine, and aviation industries.
- Architecture
- Car
- Ship
- Food
Summary
Seal strips or weather stripping come in hundreds of shapes and sizes. All these sizes and shapes are suitable for specific applications. Each of the forms has a unique function and capabilities. We have tried to demonstrate the most popular seal strip shapes that you would find in most applications. However, there are other complex and customized seal strip examples. We did not bring those examples because we wanted to make this article relevant to the most common seal strip shapes.
For more Weatherstrip For Greenhousesinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.