Closing the gaps

Nothing spoils a cosy winter’s night like an icy blast scooting across the floor …

Nothing spoils a cosy winter’s night like an icy blast scooting across the floor. Draught proofing can be as simple as locating the source and plugging the gap. It’s one of the cheapest and most efficient ways to save energy and make your home warmer.

As much as 25 percent of the heat in your home could be escaping through unwanted gaps that let cold air in and warm air out. Draughtproofing is a simple and effective way to save money and stay warm, no matter what kind of home you live in – even if it’s an apartment or rental.

Most of the materials you need are relatively inexpensive, can be bought from your local hardware store and only require an average level of DIY skill to install. Any money spent on draughtproofing will pay you back quickly, and some solutions will also help reduce unwanted noise and damage from UV light. So get plugging!

Start with the basics

• While it’s light, shut each door or window and check along all edges to see if any light peeks through.
• Later in the day, run your hand around the room where the floor meets the wall to check for cold air coming in between the floor and the skirting boards.
• If you’re having trouble pinpointing the source of a draught, hold a burning candle or incense stick around the suspect area and watch the flame or smoke. For a more high-tech approach, call in your local thermal imaging experts.
• Stop air from whistling through your keyhole with a swinging metal cover that automatically drops over the hole.
• Check for loose wall-mounted electrical outlets and poorly-fitting ceiling access hatches and vents.

• Block up unused fireplaces with large plastic shopping bags stuffed with more scrunched up bags. Use these to fill the chimney cavity just above the fireplace. Make sure the bags are removed before anyone lights a fire! You can also have a cap professionally fitted over the chimney pot.

Good tip: There’s a difference between ventilation and draughts. Draughtproofing is about stopping unwanted air, but every home needs some fresh air. Bathrooms, kitchens and lounges with open fireplaces or unflued gas heaters need controlled air circulation. Installing vents allows damp air to be removed and fresh air to flow in.

Work from the ground up

• Lack of insulation can mean 20 percent of your home’s heat is lost through the floor. If you can get underneath your house, have a thermal lining or polystyrene sheets fitted to the underside of the floor.

• If you have damp earth under your house, lay heavy plastic sheeting over the ground to block dampness or draughts coming up through the floor.
• If your home has polished wooden floors, check for gaps between floorboards. Climb under the house tonight when the lights are on to spot any light shining through.
• Does your wood floor have a hole? 1. Go under the house and screw a small square of timber over the hole. 2. Next, cut a bung of matching wood with a hole saw, making the bung a fraction bigger than the hole you’re filling, so it will jam in tight. 3. Sand the edges of the bung, apply some wood glue, line the grain up with the floorboard and tap it into place using a hammer. 4. Fill the central pilot hole with wood filler and sand smooth.

Get sticky: seals and strips

• Draughts can get in around window and door frames. Check that hinges are secure and the window or door is hanging correctly in its frame. Eliminate draughts from the tops and sides of window and door frames with self-adhesive foam or V-seal.
• Thoroughly clean between the door or window and frame to remove any dust or loose paint. A steel brush can be handy for this. Scrape away the remains of old insulating strips using a wood chisel.
• Apply an insulating strip. The closed door or window should press against the foam strip. Set the strip about 3mm back from the corner or edge of the frame to ensure the seal’s whole surface is in contact with the door or window. Avoid laying the strip where the door or window will rub against it.

• Starting in a corner of the frame, remove the backing paper to expose a short section of the adhesive edge and press firmly into place. Repeat along sides and top.
• Once the foam strips have been laid, the door or window may not open or close as easily. This should lessen over time as the foam strip compacts a little. If the problem persists, you may need to adjust the hinges or catches, or lightly plane any surfaces that are sticking.
• Small cracks between floorboards and gaps between fixed windows, along architraves and the bottom edges of poorly-fitting skirtings can be filled with a clear sealant. Floor and skirting boards contract and expand with time, so use a clear or white silicon-based or latex sealer that remains flexible after it dries.
• The front door and French doors are a common source of draughts, especially along the bottom, but they’re easily fixed with a draught excluder strip.
• Close the gap between sliding sash window frames by fitting a self-adhesive brush strip along the inside edge of the top window. (Foam strips don’t work well for these windows). Make sure the strip is in contact with the front windowpane to create a snug seal and stop the panes rattling in the wind.
• Poorly-fitting louvre windows can be a nasty source of draughts; consider replacing them with a fixed or opening window.

Good tip: It’s vital to choose the appropriate size of foam, rubber of brush strip to fill each gap. Too thick and it will get compressed and damaged, or you may not be able to close the window or door or cause it to warp; too small and there’ll still be a gap.

Get crafty

• Stop draughts under internal doors with fabric draught excluders. For a quick, easy solution, cut the legs off an old pair of jeans or tights. Sew across or knot one end, fill the legs with rice or fabric scraps, then knot or sew the other end. For more elaborate designs and instructions, click here.
• Adding another layer to your existing curtains is epecially worthwhile in south-facing bedrooms. Sew bright new fabric over the top and relegate the old layer to the back, add a thermal lining, or just hook an old set of curtains to the back.
• Add drama and warmth in your lounge by hanging wider and longer curtains, or adding extra fabric to the sides of existing curtains and hanging them on a longer rail. Curtains that puddle on the floor stop cold air from dropping down from the window into the room. Pelmets above your curtains will also help stop heat sneaking out the window.

Worthwhile investments

• Open downlights can let in draughts, so replace them when you can with closed or sealed canister downlights or get rid of them altogether and replace with ceiling mounted fittings.
• Deal with your draughty fireplace by replacing it with an efficient, clean-burning woodburner or pellet burner.
• Double-glazing your windows can reduce heat loss and draughts as well as noise and UV damage. Retrofitting an existing house can be a costly but worthwhile exercise – especially if you live in a colder part of the country. It’s worth checking out the many secondary glazing options.