Dealing With Draughts in the Home

We've all heard the cries of ‘save energy’ these days. Unless you live under a rock, deep in a forest that no man has ventured into for hundreds of years, and nestled on an island where other animals live and the nearest human is hundreds of miles away on the mainland, and the rock is in a titanium chamber that’s been… Ok, you get the picture. The drive to save energy to make the world a better place is something we’re told to do daily. You may be sick of hearing about it, but the benefits of saving energy in our homes are worth taking the time to do something about it; and not only from an environmental point of view but also to reduce the rising bills that are all putting a bit of squeeze on us.

This time we'll take a quick look at draughts, those nasty little things that can suck out all the warm air your central heating  is pumping out - and what you're paying for - and replace it with cold air from outside.

Draught Excluders

It was approaching the end of January when we moved into our first rented home, and it was also one of the coldest winters that we’d felt in the UK for a long while. The living room always used to be cold, even with the central heating on full blast, and we quickly discovered that a draught was the cause of our problems. The gaps under the two doors leading from the living room, particularly the large gap under the door leading to the kitchen, were letting a great deal of draught in and removing any benefit that the central heating was providing. To combat this we got hold of some draught excluders, which did the job that our homes insulation was failing at.

It’s easy enough to make your own draught excluder; ours were simply bits of carpet wrapped around a cardboard tube (there's a good guide to making your own here). Just make sure you make it long enough to cover the entire gap, or you’ll still be leaking heat and feeling a chill. It’s the best thing you can do save from altering your homes structure, which wasn't an option given that we don’t own the house. Plus, it’s cheap and won’t waste valuable heat – and therefore money.

Plug Other Air Leaks

You can also plug small air leaks – other than those under doors - yourself, but first you need to go about identifying them. Check for cracks in masonry, gaps between joints and particularly check around windows. Cracks in walls can be dealt with simply by using cement or wall filler, while windows can be sealed correctly by using foam, plastic or metal draught strips that run around the edges of the window panes.

You can also use caulking as a method to seal various leaks; such as between floorboards and skirting boards. Caulking is a relatively simple procedure to do and shouldn't cost you too much. Take a look here for a detailed guide in carrying out caulking.

Finally, we have an unused chimney in our living room that causes a draught that you can actually hear heading down the chimney. We managed to block this draft by using a chimney balloon, which you should be able to get at your local DIY store (if not then Google is your friend).

Keep your eyes firmly locked on the blog to discover more saving energy tips in the coming weeks, and feel free to let us know your tips in the comments below!