Draught proofing your home

Where do draughts come from?

The answer isn’t always obvious. Yes, windows and doors are obvious culprits but floorboards and plug sockets can also be sources of unwanted chills. On a cold day spend some time moving around your house, identifying cold spots and finding the source of the draught. Most draughts can be easily detected simply by running your hand up and down the door or window frame. If the source of cold air is proving more difficult to locate, a lit candle or smoking taper can help.

Draughts

Cold wind has a way of finding any small gaps and getting in. If you’ve got draughts in your conservatory fit some draught proofing from your local DIY shop. It’s not too difficult and will make all the difference. You probably don’t have a letterbox in the conservatory but if you do, fit a cover which is very effective in keeping draughts out. And so is a draught excluder which come in all colours and varieties.

Some draughts are easy to detect by using one of the following techniques:

• seeing daylight under doors or around window frames
• seeing curtains or blinds move when it’s windy outside
• holding tissue up around fireplaces or over floor boards to see if the tissue moves
• hearing windows rattle in the frames during storms
• feeling air moving against your hand or on wet skin

Winter-proofing with curtains and blinds

Almost a third of a typical home’s heating is lost through windows and doors, and that’s likely to be even higher in the conservatory where there’s so much glass, even if it is double glazing. Thermal curtains or blinds add an extra layer to trap warm air inside. And bespoke blinds can be made to fit large or unusually shaped windows and doors.

Benefits of draught proofing

Draught proofing stops warm air from escaping your home in winter and hot air from entering in summer, saving you money and making your home more comfortable. Up to 25 per cent of winter heat loss from existing houses is caused by air leakage (also known as draughts). In fact many homes in London have unwanted draughts.

A draught proofed home is an energy efficient one…