How To Stop Light From Coming Through Door

Although doors might not seem important, they do a lot for your comfort! They give you the privacy that you need. It can block sound and light too! However, at some point, the light might bleed through the door. If you’re wondering how to stop it from coming through the door, we’ve found out! 

If you want to stop light from coming through the door, there are temporary and permanent solutions. For a temporary solution, you can choose to hang a thick blanket over the door. To ensure light won’t bleed through, don’t use an ordinary blanket. If you want a permanent solution, you can: 

  • Use weathering strips to block areas that are leaking light. This solution is more applicable to the door frame.
  • If the light is bleeding through the bottom, you use door draft blockers to block it. 
  • If you don’t mind hanging a curtain, you search for blackout cloth. 

These are some of the ways to block out light from coming through the door. You might be wondering how it bleeds into your room in the first place. Additionally, you might want to know more ways to lightproof a room. If you’d like to find out more, keep reading ahead. 

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Why Can I See Light Through My Door?

Your door may be letting in light for several reasons. The most obvious case is the gaps between your door and your doorframe are too large. Even appropriately sized gaps can let the light shine through. Depending on the location of the door, this can be a bad sign. 

If the problematic door is at an entryway, it could mean there is room for letting in pests from outside, poor weather control, and more. For this reason, you should check the signs of a noticeable gap. 

White door opening

Tell-tale Signs

The first sign is the most obvious one. There’s too much light coming from the outside than expected. It could come from several areas. Therefore, check the hinges and the bottom of them. However, if you have a double door, you can also check the gap in between. 

Leaking

Regarding doorways, are you noticing water seeping through the door? You might have unnoticed pools of water at the entrance after a rainy day. However, if you’ve caught this problem in action, it might be time to replace your weathering strip. 

Bad Weatherstripping

Of course, the previous sign can only happen if you have damaged weatherstripping. That is only if you previously installed weatherstripping in the first place. If you have, check it for cracks, compression, and tears. 

How Do You Seal the Bottom of a Door?

bright magic light through open door

Now that we covered all the signs, let’s go over some options to cover the areas that might bother you. The first option you have is to seal the bottom of the door. You have several options that can help you achieve your goal. We’ll start with some of the easy solutions.

Velcro Door Drafter

Click here to see this door drafter on Amazon.

The way this works is simple. You apply a velcro strip with adhesive to the door. Per the manufacturer’s instructions, you first measure the stopper to match the door’s width. Then, plant the tube firmly on the floor, ensuring there are no gaps. 

As you’re lining the tube to the door, hold the adhesive side away from it. Once you’ve leveled the gaps and made sure the tube aligns well with the door, press the adhesive side onto the door. You can add thumbtacks for additional support. 

Door Sweep

If you want a permanent solution, it’s going to require more effort. There are two options when choosing a door sweep. Some variations stick to the side using nails. Others will require you to route a dado. Since the latter will be less DIY-friendly, we’ll go over the former. 

Click here to see this door sweep on Amazon.

To install a door sweep, you will need to:

  1. Using a measuring tape, measure the width of the door from the inside. Using the measurement, make a mark on the sweep you will install.
  2. Cut the flexible part with scissors or a utility knife. Use a hacksaw to cut the sturdy bits. 
  3. Line the sweep on the door. It should be lightly touching the threshold. The threshold is the portion that faces the bottom of your door. 
  4. Once you’ve aligned it, mark the screw positions. Then, drill pilot holes.  
  5. It’s time to press the sweep down into the threshold. It should be firm enough to give you an idea of how it would hold up. Drive the screws in and give it a test. 

Slide-In Door Drafter

Click here to see this door draft stopper on Amazon.

The simple option to go for is a slide-in door drafter. As the name implies, you slide the stopper under the door. It’s held in place using two pieces of sponges. Though, it might not hold up well in the long run. This option is one of the temporary solutions. 

How Do You Fill the Gap Between the Door and Doorframe?

Close-up photo of door hinge on the door

Filling the gap between the door and doorframe is a bit of a complex process. First things first, you will need to prepare the area you will cover. This means removing any dirt and grime from the door jamb. Scrub the area with soapy water. If needed, sand it to eliminate any buildups. 

Measurements

After cleaning up, it’s time to take some measurements. Measure the areas that you will want to cover. They include the top and sides of the door. 

First, measure the width of the gap between the door and the jamb. Make sure to measure the top as the width can differ. This first measurement will tell you how thick the weatherstrip should be. The second measurement you will take is the width of the jamb. This one tells you how wide the weatherstripping should be. 

Tightening the Hinges

Of course, if you want everything to go smoothly, you will need to make sure the door is working correctly. Give the hinges a test. You can do so by lifting the door upward. If it moves up, you’ll have to tighten the top hinge. 

To finish it off, you can also tighten the bottom hinge if it is loose. The door needs to be a tight fit. This way, the weatherstripping can work to its best potential. 

beams bright light come through crack

Weatherstripping

There are many options to choose from when it comes to weatherstripping. However, for light blocking purposes, you will want to avoid using any transparent variations. Instead, you can opt for something darker. 

Click here to see this weatherstrip on Amazon.

There’s also a variety of materials you can choose from. Though, the one that’s simple to install would be the foam variation. However, if you want something that will last, you can go for a rubber material. But, it requires more effort than installing the other forms. 

In either case, you should measure the weathering strip to fit the top and sides of the door. Cut it into segments and adjust as needed. Follow the instructions of the weathering strip of your choice to press it around the perimeter of the door jamb. If you think the adhesive will not hold up well, you can reinforce it using heavy-duty staples. 

That should cover how to cover the gap between the door and the doorframe! 

How Do You Lightproof a Room?

light revealing through half open wooden

There are some cases where you might want to go the easier route. As you can see, the options above require a bit of work. So, how do you lightproof a room in a simple manner? 

If you want to reduce light, you can choose to go for blackout curtains. They require the least amount of work of all the options. If you want to hang it over a door, you will have to install a curtain rod to hold it. Additionally, you might lose the soundproofing benefits that weatherstripping can offer.

Nevertheless, if soundproofing isn’t your top priority, blackout curtains can work well. When choosing one, you will have to make sure it is thick. For this reason, regular curtains will not work because they will let light bleed through the sides. 

Click here to see this blackout curtain on Amazon.

Final Takeaway

light rays coming through door 3d

There are many reasons why you might want to lightproof a door. Maybe you can’t sleep because of the light coming through the gaps. Or, you can’t focus on what you’re doing because the light is interfering with your vision. Whatever the case, we hope you found a solution using the information above! 

Before you go, do you have other door concerns? Are you having trouble keeping your bedroom door open? You can find some fixes by checking out our post here

Are you wondering if you should close the bedroom door at night? You can find out more by checking out our post here. Until next time!  

An opening white door with light behind, How To Stop Light From Coming Through Door
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