Draft Proofing Guide

1. What Is Draught-Proofing and Why It Matters

Draughts are cold air entering your home through gaps (like under doors, around pipes, or window frames). They force your heating to work harder, raising energy bills. Draught-proofing seals these unwanted gaps to keep your home warmer and more efficient but be careful not to overdo it, as some ventilation remains essential for healthy airflow.

2. Find Where the Draughts Are Coming From

• Walk around your home on windy days.
• Look for light coming in, rattling sounds, or curtains moving near doors, windows, skirting boards, fireplaces, loft hatches, and around pipes.
• Focus on areas like doors, keyholes, letterboxes, and wall or floor cracks.
• Don’t seal extractor fans, airbricks, wall vents, trickle vents, or areas around gas appliances. These are needed for fresh air and to prevent condensation or damp.

4. How to Draught-Proof Common Areas

Windows

• Use self-adhesive foam strips for DIY ease, or more durable brush/metal wiper strips.

• For fixed windows, apply a silicone sealant.
• Foam strips may not work well on sliding sash windows, brush seals are more suitable.
  

Doors

• Keyhole covers help stop draughts through locks.
• Letterbox brushes or flaps prevent wind but allow mail.
• Use door brush strips or hinged flaps at the bottom to block drafts.
• Also consider foam or brush strips around the frame edges.
  
  

Chimneys & Fireplaces

• Use removable chimney draught excluders (like Chimney Sheep or a reusable cap) when not in use.
  
  

Loft Hatches

• Apply foam strips around the edges to stop heat escaping upward.
  

Floors & Skirting Boards

• For loose floorboards or gaps, use silicone fillers or expanding foam for bigger holes.
  
  

Pipework

• Small gaps: seal with silicone.
• Larger ones: use expanding polyurethane foam.
  
  

Other Areas

• Fill wall cracks with cement or hard-setting filler (ask a surveyor if cracks grow).
• Seal disused extractor fan openings and unused vents.
• If you don’t use your fireplace, consider a cap or excluder, protecting from cold drafts.

6. DIY vs. Professional Installation

Plus, reducing your thermostat by just 1°C can save another £85–£90/year.

7. Don’t Go Overboard—Watch for Risks

• Avoid blocking ventilation, especially in moisture-prone rooms or around gas appliances.
• Don’t insulate around electrical fittings, it’s a fire hazard and makes future maintenance harder.
  
• Don’t compress loft insulation with boxes, this reduces its effectiveness and clogs airflow.