DIY guideWood stove
Replace the wood stove door and glass gaskets
On a cold stove, pull out the old door rope, clean the channel, glue in new gasket of the same size, and do the glass's flat gasket too.
- 45 min to 1½ hr
- 8 steps
- Every step animated
8 steps
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With the stove cold, lift the door off its hinges and lay it face down on a towel.
Pull the old gasket rope out of its channel.
Scrape out the old glue with a screwdriver and a wire brush, down to clean metal.
Wear gloves and a dust mask: old gaskets shed fibres.Run a bead of stove gasket glue all round the channel.
Press the rope in from the hinge side, without stretching it. Cut it so the two ends butt together.
Undo the glass's clips, peel off its flat gasket, wrap a new one round its edge, and refit the clips just snug.
Hang the door, close it, and leave the glue to set as its label says. Light small fires first.
The door still won't seal, is warped, or the glass is cracked: don't light it. Ask Handyman for a stove pro.
What you need
- Gasket rope of the same thickness, and stove gasket glue
- A flat gasket for the glass
- A screwdriver and a wire brush
- Gloves and a dust mask
- A towel
Call a pro if
- The door is warped or its hinges are worn
- The glass is cracked
- It still leaks smoke after the new gasket
- You can't match the rope's size
Handyman says: Still leaking? I'll find a stove pro.
Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.
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