How best to seal an old milk door?

December 28, 2015 8:58 AM

Hi, all. Mr. Verdandi and I have an adorable 1940s cape which came with a milk door that leads to the kitchen. We'd like to seal it up, mostly for heat-retention reasons. Details inside.

The opening itself is exactly 1 ft x 1 ft square, with 2" molding around the edges on the inside portion. On the outside, it's recessed into the house slightly, about 1". Covering it currently are small doors on both the interior and exterior (as is normal), as well as a 1/2" thick piece of foam board in the middle which does nearly nothing to insulate. Exterior of the house is brick, interior kitchen area is plaster.

I'm looking for a solid DIY solution right now - we plan to re-do the kitchen several years hence, so can have the contractors fiddle with that as part of the kitchen remodel. Can I just screw it shut from the inside, caulk, stuff in some Pink Panther and screw it shut again? What's a good solution? Thanks in advance!

posted by Verdandi to Home & Garden (4 answers total)

Have a piece of thick plexiglass cut to exactly the right size and silicon seal it in place for now or ever. Clear cuts away easily when you want a change. That would be in between doors. Some regular foam like for making chair pads could also be cut to that size for between the plexi and the outside door.
posted by Oyéah at 9:14 AM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]

You might find more ideas searching for "milk chute". I found these instructions:

Three step chute retrofit.
1-Open outside door, line chute with a 6 mill vapor barrier and fill chute with fiberglass batt insulation.
2-Caulk around outside door.
3- Use screws to secure door.
posted by cecic at 9:26 AM on December 28, 2015

Can I just screw it shut from the inside, caulk, stuff in some Pink Panther and screw it shut again?

Yep.

I wouldn't worry too much about insulation. You have thousands of square feet of surface area surrounding your house and one square foot will hardly make a difference even if uninsulated. What will make a noticeable difference is drafts. If you can seal it up with caulking so that the wind doesn't blow through, that should be sufficient. Or you could just pack the space between the inner and outer doors with fiberglass insulation to stop air infiltration.
posted by JackFlash at 11:07 AM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]

For the same price as a tube of caulking you could get a can of Window and Door foam. Fill the cavity with it, tape the doors shut with masking tape, and in a couple days the doors will be held shut by the foam and you'll have a perfect draft seal and insulation.

Use the window and door stuff rather than regular because it has less expansive force. Depending on the foam you buy you might need to do it with a couple layers or mist it with water (read the can).
posted by Mitheral at 11:35 AM on December 28, 2015