Introduction: Draft Stopper Using Recycled Inner Tubes
While I was combing over Instructables I saw the new inner tube contest, and my brain immediately jumped back to the middle of summer when I blew my bike tire.... 2 miles away from my house!! I never threw it out. Partially because I thought I could reuse it, but mostly because I had actually just bought it the morning before. Luckily I bought a two pack, so I just put the other new one in. So when I saw the inner tube contest, my brain started cranking out ideas on what to do with that old tube.
I am a hot guy, temperature wise that is. In order to sleep I need my bedroom to be cold. Closing the heating vent doesn't cut it. I need the window open with a fan in it, even in the dead of winter. My main concern with this is that there is a constant amount of cold air leaking out from the bottoms of my bedroom doors. This then cause the rest of the house to start to cool down, making my heater kick on more and more frequently. Thus costing me more money to heat the house. So here is my simple fix.
I am a hot guy, temperature wise that is. In order to sleep I need my bedroom to be cold. Closing the heating vent doesn't cut it. I need the window open with a fan in it, even in the dead of winter. My main concern with this is that there is a constant amount of cold air leaking out from the bottoms of my bedroom doors. This then cause the rest of the house to start to cool down, making my heater kick on more and more frequently. Thus costing me more money to heat the house. So here is my simple fix.
Step 1: Tools and Supplies
Tool:
Tape Measure
Scissors
Ruler
Marker (I used red because you can see the shine of it pretty easy on the dark inner tube)
Supplies:
Used Inner Tube
Double Stick Tape
Tape Measure
Scissors
Ruler
Marker (I used red because you can see the shine of it pretty easy on the dark inner tube)
Supplies:
Used Inner Tube
Double Stick Tape
Step 2: Measure the Door
Using your tape measure, measure the bottom of your door. After you get the size, add an inch. This will be the length of inner tube you will need. The reason for adding the inch is to leave some over hang to make a better seal.
Step 3: Clean the Tube
Before I cut my inner tube to the correct length I decided to make it nice and clean. The cleaner it is the less likely my wife will think it looks terrible. This is pretty straight forward for most tubes. A little dish soap and water into the tube, shake it around a bit and then wipe down the out side. Easy right.....
Unless you have the misfortune of using a Slime tire. Slime tires have a green, well slime, in them that will seal up small puncture holes in the tube. The stuff stinks and leaves a crust in the entire tube. Also quite a bit of the slime didn't dry, so when I cut the tube I dropped a nice big puddle of it onto the floor. In my frustration I forgot to take a picture of the puddle. Sorry about that, your welcome to laugh at me anyway.
So I rinsed out a majority of the crust and slime. Washed the out side, then hung it in the shower to dry. The slime will stain things so be careful not to get it on your clothes or carpet. Later when you split the tube you will have to wash it again to get the remainder of the crust out.
Unless you have the misfortune of using a Slime tire. Slime tires have a green, well slime, in them that will seal up small puncture holes in the tube. The stuff stinks and leaves a crust in the entire tube. Also quite a bit of the slime didn't dry, so when I cut the tube I dropped a nice big puddle of it onto the floor. In my frustration I forgot to take a picture of the puddle. Sorry about that, your welcome to laugh at me anyway.
So I rinsed out a majority of the crust and slime. Washed the out side, then hung it in the shower to dry. The slime will stain things so be careful not to get it on your clothes or carpet. Later when you split the tube you will have to wash it again to get the remainder of the crust out.
Step 4: Cut to Length, Split, Wash Again!
Measure out the length of tube you need, I needed 30 3/4in. You can always cut off the excess, so just lay the tube down next to your tape measure and snip it off at the size you want.
Next you're going to need to spit your tube in half. My tube conveniently had little embossed lines running down the length of the tube.
Lastly wash out the horror show inside!!
Next you're going to need to spit your tube in half. My tube conveniently had little embossed lines running down the length of the tube.
Lastly wash out the horror show inside!!
Step 5: Measuring the Tube and Splitting Again
After I got the inner tube cut, I realized there was more than enough to do two doors. Which was actually really exciting because I have two doors that need to be sealed. Yay!
First thing I did was measure the width and mark the center on the tube periodically down the length.
Then I used my ruler to connect the dots. This was a bit of a pain because the tube is curved, but just make sure the dot you're on lines up with the next dot by moving the rubber a bit.
Lastly cut along the line you made.
First thing I did was measure the width and mark the center on the tube periodically down the length.
Then I used my ruler to connect the dots. This was a bit of a pain because the tube is curved, but just make sure the dot you're on lines up with the next dot by moving the rubber a bit.
Lastly cut along the line you made.
Step 6: Apply the Tape and Attach It to the Door
First run a length of double stick tape across the top of your rubber strips. You want to put the tape on the side of the strips that curl in.
Next grab each end of the strip and hold it at the bottom of the door. Make sure that you mount it onto the back side of the door, so that as you close the door the rubber will uncurl a little on the floor. This will make for a nice seal.
Center it, to make sure there is an equal amount of excess on each side. Then press it against the door, this part takes some patience. You want to make sure that there is plenty of rubber dragging against the floor, so that no air can leak out.
Finally close the door and check to see if you feel a draft. If you do just readjust.
You're all done!!
Next grab each end of the strip and hold it at the bottom of the door. Make sure that you mount it onto the back side of the door, so that as you close the door the rubber will uncurl a little on the floor. This will make for a nice seal.
Center it, to make sure there is an equal amount of excess on each side. Then press it against the door, this part takes some patience. You want to make sure that there is plenty of rubber dragging against the floor, so that no air can leak out.
Finally close the door and check to see if you feel a draft. If you do just readjust.
You're all done!!