Even in a well-insulated house, a current of cool or hot air can still leak in and out through cracks, gaps and exhaust fans. You can significantly save up to 25% of your energy bills when you draught-proof your house. Draught-proofing is one of the affordable and easy ways to reduce your electric bills while keeping your house well ventilated.
Good ventilation can lessen the condensation and dampness in the house. However, unchecked draughts can allow too much cold air in and eliminate heat especially during winter season. To draught-proof your house, make sure that all unwanted gaps that allow cold air in and expel warm air out are blocked. Conserving warm air will make you less dependent on heating your house which can help you save money and make your home’s temperature more pleasant.
Draughts are present when there are gaps and openings that are left unmonitored such as electric fittings on ceilings, and walls, windows, doors, letterboxes, keyholes, floorboards, ceilings, pipeworks that lead to the outside of the house, and areas in the house that produced more moisture (bathrooms, utility rooms and kitchen).
You have the option to draught-proof the house by yourself or have an expert do it for you. DIY draughtproofing may cost around £120 while it may cost double when professionally done. However, older homes maybe hard to draught-proof so it’s best to ask help from a professional. The advantage of hiring a professional to draught proof your house is that they can help you save more energy since the installer knows the best materials to use and how to use them.
Types of Draught-proofing products
There are many DIY specialty shops that sell draught proofing products, but make sure to look out for those with Kitemark, (a product and service quality certification given by British Standards Institutions) which signifies that the product is manufactured based on excellent standards. You can also check out for the Energy Saving Trust Recommended logo to guarantee its quality. Here are some examples of types of draught proofing products:
- Self-adhesive rubber strips that can be used to seal off gaps
- Brushes (fitted below doors)
- Draught foams sprayed unto gaps around doors and windows
How it’s done
1.) Locate where the draughts are. Check the doorframes, floorboards, windows and loft hatches for any possible gaps
2.) Measure the affected area and purchase draught proof products from a DIY store. You have the option to choose from brush, self-adhesive strips or foams.
3.) It’s recommended that you use draught brush excluder for the letterbox
4.) Use newspapers to cover chimneys which actually expand to block the chimney. Just ensure to remove them again if you’re going to use the chimney.
5.) If you still experience draughty windows, you can seal them with a clear plastic film from DIY shops that fastens over the window pane when heated with a hairdryer.
6.) For those with wooden floorboards, fill the gaps in between and around them using an acrylic sealant.
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