Low Cost Measures

External Doors

There are 4 main areas to consider when draughtproofing external doors:

• Keyhole – buy a purpose made cover that drops a metal disc over the keyhole
• Letterbox flap - use a brush or hinged flap draught excluder
• Gaps around door – fit draught excluder strips around the door frame to fill the gap between the door and the frame. There are two main types of strip
  • Self-adhesive foam strips, these are cheap and easy to install but may not last long
  • Metal or plastic strips with brushes or wipers attached – these cost a little more but are more durable

Make sure the strip is the right size to fill the gap in your window, if the strip is too big it will get crushed and you may be unable to close the door.  If it is too small there will still be a gap.

• Gaps around the door frame – gaps between the door frame and the wall can be filled with cement or a hard setting filler.

Internal doors

Doors need draught proofing if they lead to a room you don’t normally heat, such as a spare room or a kitchen.  Keep these doors closed to stop the colder air from moving into the rest of the house. If there is a gap at the bottom of the door, block it with a draught excluder. These are readily available to buy or are easy to make with some spare material stuffed with used plastic bags.

If you don’t use your fireplace, your chimney is probably a source of unnecessary draughts. There are two main ways to draught proof a chimney

• Fit a cap over the chimney post – this might be better done by a professional
• Buy a chimney draught excluder – this is a device that help stop draughts and heat loss through the chimney. It is usually fitted within the chimney or around the fireplace

Remember to remove the draught proofing before lighting a fire.

Cracks and gaps in and around floorboards and skirting boards can be blocked with a filler. As floorboards and skirting boards often contract, expand or move slightly with everyday use you should buy a filler that can tolerate movement, these are usually silicone based. Look for:

• Flexible fillers
• Decorators caulk
• Mastic type products

Fillers come in different colours as well as for indoor and outdoor use. They block gaps permanently so be careful when you use them and wipe off any excess with a damp cloth before it dries.  Fillers may break down over time but can be easily reapplied.

Hot air rises and gets lost in the cold space within your loft or attic so blocking off draughts around your loft hatch can make a big difference. Use strip insulation around your loft hatch. There are two main types

• Self-adhesive foam strips, these are cheap and easy to install but may not last long
• Metal or plastic strips with brushes or wipers attached – these cost a little more but are more durable

Make sure the strip is the right size to fill the gap but still allow the hatch to close.

You can fill small gas around pipework with silicone fillers similar to fillers used for skirting boards and floorboards.  Fill larger gaps with expanding polyurethane foam.  This is sprayed into the gap, expands as it dries and sets hard.

Old fan outlets may need to be filled with bricks or concrete blocks and sealed from both the inside and outside.

There may be cracks and gaps in your walls around electrical fittings, on the walls, on the ceilings and where the walls join the ceiling. You can fill in cracks using cements or hard setting fillers. If there is a large crack in your wall you may need to check whether there is an underlying problem. Consider consulting a surveyor or builder to see what caused the crack.