Sealing patio doors to the bricks

bouicca21

I’ve been having nightly visits from mini slugs.  Tracking down how they get in has led me to discover that my patio doors are sitting on the bricks of the wall but aren’t sealed to it.  The doors sit above the damp course,  outside there’s a sort of row of gravel on top of the footings, then there is what I think is called a French drain - it’s where the patio drains to and has a grid over.  There’s a lot of silt in the drain.

It’s  going to be awkward to access - could I use some sort of mastic gun and will it have to be absolutely dry?  Or should I get in some sort of handyman to do it?  And presumably it might be a good idea to clear the silt in the drain so the little slugs have no where to live or hide?

grumbler

Expanding foam

FreeBear

grumbler said: Expanding foam

Expanding foam is good for sealing around doors & windows internally (and you need to use a foam gun to get the best out of it). Externally, I'd use a decent mastic (frame sealant). If there is limited space to get a mastic gun in, use a piece of flexible tube jammed on the end of the nozzle (also works with a foam gun).

Being damp will be a slight advantage as both foam & mastic set a bit better in the presence of moisture.

grumbler

Foam does deteriourate if exposed to direct sunlight, that isn't the case under the door threshold. It's easier to apply and for one-off job there's no point in paying for a gun. The included straw will do the job, but it's woth noting that the can doesn't work if held upside-down.