Not only are cold draughts a nuisance, they are expensive too. Windows that allow cold air in your home (and warm air out!) could be costing you £20 a year and an open fireplace will see you lose £15 a year.
While those figures might not break the bank, you want a warm and cosy home and why waste money that could be in your pocket? What can you do to keep the cold draughts at bay?
Insulating your home means it retains more heat. With energy becoming more expensive, hanging on to as much of it as possible in your home makes sense. But when it comes to insulation, what can you do?
What you must consider
The temptation is to find every hole or gap where you are ‘leaking’ warm air and seal it. But you need to take care that you’re not shutting off important points of your home that allow it to breathe.
For example, underfloor air bricks, grilles and extractor fans all help your home to get rid of stale air and bring in fresh air. This reduces condensation and mould, as well as making your home smell better. Sealing these means you could be storing up problems for the future.
DIY draught excluding ideas
That said, with a few basic tools and materials, it is possible to reduce the niggling cold air draughts in your home:
1. Around doors and windows
The most common place to find a cold draught is around single glazed windows and doors, although poorly fitted double glazed units can also allow cold air through small gaps and holes.
There are all kinds of products on the market that you can use to reduce these draughts, including sealants and fillers.
However, it may be that to get rid of these draughts completely you’ll need to invest in new double glazed windows and doors.
2. Draught excluders
Sometimes, the simplest of solutions work and can help to introduce colour into a room too. Curtains with linings, for example, are great for draught-proofing windows as are draught excluders.
As well as buying ready-made excluders, you can also make your own draught excluders using a variety of readily available and cheap items, as suggested by House Beautiful @HB.
3. Pipework
A common place for cold draughts to find their way into your home is through gaps left when pipes are inserted into walls.
Check under the kitchen sink, the bathroom sink and in any places where pipes enter your property. Use a foaming sealer to plug the hole without pressure on the pipe.
4. Chimneys
An open fire is delightful but when there isn’t a fire in the grate, the flue is open and cold air is barrelling its way into the room. There are chimney plugs you can buy. Small, tough plastic, that you can simply blow up and place in the chimney.
Finding small gaps in walls and around doors and windows – and plugging them – will help to reduce your energy bill. And with cold draughts gone, your home will be warm and comfortable.