Can A Storefront Door Sweep Really Keep Rain Out?
One of the most common questions when buying a storefront door sweep is can it really keep rain out. The short answer is Yes. There are a couple of factors to this. In this article we explore how to keep rain out of your building by purchasing a storefront door sweep.
Is The Commercial Storefront Door Located At A Low Grade
Chances are if you are reading this article, you are getting water inside of your building. Does water pool up in the area where your door is located? If a storefront door is located at a lower part of the ground rather than a higher grade, then water will always pool up at the base of the door each time it rains. If this is the case, a door sweep will not help. Properly grading the ground outside of your building, installing gutters to divert water, and other construction measures will need to be addressed with your building contractor.
Does Your Storefront Door Have A Threshold
All exterior storefront doors should have a threshold. If your door has a properly installed threshold, this will greatly aid the storefront door sweep from preventing rain from getting in your building. Keep in mind ADA thresholds are typically a 1/4 inch in height. If it rains and you notice that water comes into the building from beneath the door threshold, then your door threshold has not bee installed properly. You will need to remove the door threshold and apply heavy caulking all the way across the bottom of the threshold plate. A door sweep will not keep rain out if the door sweep is not properly caulked to keep rain from coming in through the bottom of the threshold.
Vinyl Storefront Door Sweeps Prevent Rain From Getting In Your Building
Assuming your storefront door is at a normal grade surface and you have a properly caulked ADA door threshold, then a storefront door sweep will keep the rain out. With that being said since rain and moisture is of prime concern, the best storefront door sweep to keep rain out is a combination vinyl door sweep with rain drip. The combination vinyl rain drip storefront door sweep should be installed on the bottom rail of the storefront door. The vinyl should be touching the ADA threshold to create a solid seal. When it rains, any rain that hits the door will drip down and be diverted by the door sweep's rain drip.
Add An Overhead Mounted Rain Drip
It is also recommended to add an overhead rain drip to your storefront door. This rain drip projects much further than the combination door sweep's rain drip. This will help divert rain from pooling up near the door threshold.
Conclusion
A storefront door sweep is a great investment and will definitely keep the rain out of your building when combined with an overhead mounted rain drip and a properly caulked door threshold. We recommend the Tahoma snow and rain weatherization kit. It includes a combination vinyl rain drip door sweep and ADA compliant door threshold. The Tahoma snow and rain weathersization kit ismade specifically for storefront doors and are trusted by building owners nation wide. Shop today and receive FAST, FREE shipping on all Tahoma storefront door weatherstripping products.
DISCLAIMER:INFORMATION PROVIDED THROUGH THIS SITE IS PROVIDED TO YOU AS IS WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, AND WE MAKE NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY THAT THIS SITE (OR ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN RESPONSE TO YOUR INQUIRY), WILL BE ACCURATE, COMPLETE, OR ERROR-FREE.YOU AGREE THAT YOU MUST EVALUATE ALL INFORMATION AND RESPONSES, AND THAT YOU BEAR ALL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH, THE USE OF THIS SITE, INCLUDING ANY RELIANCE ON THE ACCURACY,COMPLETENESS, OR USEFULNESS OF ANY INFORMATION OR MATERIALS MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THIS SITE.