Draught Proofing Your Home: What You Need to Know

16 February 2017

Why is draught proofing important?

A cold and draughty house won't be comfortable for anyone in the winter months. Not only does it cost more to heat it can also be a health hazard, particularly to the more vulnerable in society. If you'd like a warmer, greener, and more energy efficient home, then any gaps around your doors and windows where warm air can escape need to be filled.

Below we'll discuss the areas to concentrate on and the products you'll need to improve the thermal efficiency of your windows and doors.

Draught proofing doors

A draughty door can be a common problem for homeowners and renters, particularly in older properties. The first thing to do is identify where the draught is. Whether it's a uPVC or timber door, it could be that the draught seal around the door has deteriorated or lost its compression values, no longer returning to its original state/shape. This can lead to gaps in the door sealing, allowing small draughts in to your home. If your door has a letter plate, it could be that the letter plate isn't thermally efficient itself, which can be the case with traditional brass letter plates. Another possibility could be your door wasn't fitted with an adequate door threshold.

Defective draught seals could have a lower level impact on the energy efficiency of your home, but certainly worth fixing if you can, as it's relatively inexpensive if you can find a like for like seal replacement. Replacing letter plates could have a similar effect albeit at a higher price point. However, a large gap underneath your door is certainly going to have a large impact on keeping your house warm.

Whichever problem is causing the draught on your door, the key considerations are; 1. How easy is it to fix/can I do it myself? and 2. How much is it going to cost? If you're a competent DIYer and can find the correct product for the job, draught proofing front doors is definitely something you can do relatively easily and cheaply. If you're not confident in this area or think the door in question is beyond repair, then buying new or using a professional might be a better option. Either way, below are a few products that may help you or your chosen professional ensure your door is free of draughts.

Draught proofing windows

Draught proofing windows is another key area when ensuring your home is thermally efficient, especially if you have multiple windows that require attention. Like doors, the first thing to check is that when shut, you have a secure seal between the window and frame. If there are any slight gaps in the seal, then there could be one of a few issues. There could be a problem with the draught seal so a replacement would be required. A relatively easy and cost effective fix. However, in the case of timber or uPVC windows that use friction hinges, there is the possibility of issues with the hinges. For example, there could be binding issues caused by wear and tear. This is where a hinge does not bind correctly when closed, causing a gap between the window and frame on the hinge side. This could have a substantial effect on a window's thermal efficiency and if left, could potentially get to a point where opening and closing the window is difficult. Another issue could be the glazing units or in particular the sealing of that unit. If you have timber windows that were externally glazed using glazing putty, it could be that this has deteriorated over time and developed small gaps causing draughts.

Once you have located the issue with your window/windows, make sure you have the correct product for the repair job. This will likely be more straight forward if you're replacing the draught seal. However, if new friction hinges are required, there are a few key measurements and details that you'll need to ensure you have the correct replacement. This includes the size, stack height, and closing option of either Standard, Egress, Egress Easy Clean, or Easy Clean. Information on this can be found in another of our blog posts here. Or on our friction hinge product pages. If your issue is with externally glazed timber windows and glazing putty/beading then we'd suggest replacing the putty or bead. Below are a few links to help seal your windows from the elements.

Sash window draught proofing

Sash windows can cause problems when trying to keep a home warm. Traditionally fitted to older properties and often single glazed (if they're original), sash windows aren't always the most thermally efficient of windows. So what can be done to improve on this? Firstly, if there are any obvious gaps, these need to be rectified. This could be as simple as retrofitting some foam or rubber draught seal, to stop any little rattles during windy weather. Replacing brush pile that may have flattened over time or staff and parting bead that may need to be replaced, which isn't such a quick fix. As with timber casement windows, your sash windows could have been externally glazed. Either using putty or timber beads that have seen better days.

As with all the windows and doors in your property, if you're confident in taking on the project, you can definitely improve the efficiency of your sash windows. Below are a few of the products to help you.

Hopefully, you'll find some useful information above, and be on your way to making your home winter ready. The key in making sure your home is as energy efficient as possible, is locating all draughts on your windows and doors, and buying the correct product for the job. In some cases, there may be a quick and easy way to draught proofing your windows and doors.

If you can't find the product you're looking for on our website, please contact us and we'll try and point you in the right direction. And if you're employing a professional for the job, send them our way for any draught seal or hardware needs.