Last spring, my basement got totally wrecked by flooding—pretty much ruined the whole carpet and furniture situation, so I spent the past few months figuring out how to seal up my doors better. Here's what I did:
1. First, pulled off the old weatherstripping (it was ancient anyway) and replaced it with heavy-duty rubber seals.
2. Installed a threshold barrier at the base of the door frame—it's like a little metal lip that stops water from creeping under.
3. Added a waterproof door sweep at the bottom to block gaps.
4. Just to be extra safe, I also applied silicone caulking around the edges of the frame. Messy, but worth it.
It's been holding up pretty well with recent heavy rains, but um, I'm not totally convinced it's foolproof yet. Not sure if there's something better or simpler out there. Curious if anyone here's tried other methods or maybe has some tricks I haven't thought of?
You've covered a lot of the main bases already, but one thing I've found useful is adding a drainage solution outside the door itself. A simple trench drain or even just grading the ground slightly away from the entry can make a huge difference.
"Installed a threshold barrier at the base of the door frame—it's like a little metal lip that stops water from creeping under."
Threshold barriers are great, but if water pools right outside, it can still eventually find a way in. Have you looked into improving exterior drainage at all? Might be worth considering...
Drainage outside the door is definitely key. Threshold barriers help, but they're more of a secondary defense. If water's pooling right at your doorstep, eventually it'll find a way in—trust me, learned that the hard way.
What worked best for me was digging a shallow trench drain about 18 inches out from the door. Doesn't have to be fancy—just a narrow channel filled with gravel and a perforated pipe underneath to carry water away. Make sure you slope it slightly downhill away from the house. If your yard's pretty flat, you might need to dig a bit deeper at the far end to create enough slope.
Also, don't underestimate grading. Even a subtle slope away from your entryway can redirect a surprising amount of water. I used a long 2x4 and a level to check my grading—just lay it down and see where adjustments are needed. Takes a bit of elbow grease, but it's worth it when the next heavy rain hits and your entry stays dry.
