How to deal with draughts
You will need:
-
Hacksaw
- Craft knife
- Pincers
- Electric drill/screwdriver
- Clear flexible mastic
- Hammer
- Panel pins
- Expanding foam
- Foam, rubber or PVC insulating strips
Don't give your heat away! Draughts account for as much as 25% of the lost heat in a home, so adding draughtproofing can make your home much more comfortable and cheaper to run.
Time to complete job: Under an hour.
Approximate budget: Less than £25 for the average sized home.
First Steps
Clean the window frames with hot soapy water and paint any bare wood areas before fitting any draughtproofing. For professional advice, visit the Energy Saving Trust website.
-
Draughtproofing windows
Strips of PVC, foam or rubber draught excluder can be fitted around window frame edges so that the opening windows close onto it.
Foam strips are the cheapest but can be easily damaged if the window is frequently opened.
Tip: Sash windows can be sealed by screwing nylon brush strips along the sides and a foam or PVC strip inserted between the meeting horizontal rails. -
Sealing awkward gaps
Holes around sink waste pipes or extractor fans in a kitchen or bathroom can let in cold air.
Block by damping the brickwork and squirting expanding foam into the gaps. -
Draughtproofing older houses
Older houses often have gaps around the tops and bottoms of skirting boards that may feel draughty. Seal with a clear flexible mastic. For a clean finish, cover the sealed gap with moulding.
Tip: Lofts are often very cold in an old house and a badly fitting loft hatch will create a cold area in a hall or bathroom. Seal the edges with door draughtproofing strip. If your roof is unfelted, fix a layer of fibre insulation to the back of the loft hatch. Keep it tidy by placing the insulation in a dustbin liner bag and tacking this to the rear of the hatch door.
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