Draught Proofing Your Home: Cheap Fixes That Make a Big Difference

29 January 2024

If you can feel cold air creeping in around your doors and windows, you're paying to heat the outdoors. Draughts are one of the biggest sources of heat loss in most homes, and the good news is that fixing them rarely requires professional help or a big budget. A few pounds of materials and an afternoon of work can make your home noticeably warmer and quieter.

Why Draught Proofing Matters

Warm air escapes through gaps and cold air sneaks in to replace it, forcing your heating system to work harder. Over a winter, those little leaks around letterboxes, skirting boards and loft hatches can add up to a surprising amount of wasted energy. Draught proofing is also one of the few home improvements that pays for itself quickly, often within a single heating season. Beyond the savings, sealing gaps reduces dust ingress, blocks street noise, and eliminates those irritating cold corners that make a room feel unusable.

Find the Leaks First

Before you buy anything, spend some time locating the problem areas. On a windy day, move a lit incense stick or a thin strip of tissue slowly around the edges of doors, windows and vents, and watch where the smoke or paper flutters. Common culprits include:

Gaps around external doors, including the letterbox and keyhole
Single-glazed or badly sealed window frames
Loft hatches and the tops of wall cavities
Skirting boards and floorboards, especially in older properties
Gaps around pipework where it enters the house
Chimneys that are no longer in use

A torch shone from inside a darkened room at night will also reveal daylight around door edges — if you can see it, air can pass through it.

Doors: The Easiest Wins

External doors are usually the fastest and cheapest place to start.

Self-Adhesive Seals and Brushe Strips

Foam or rubber self-adhesive strips run along the door frame to close the gap between door and frame, while brush strips fix to the bottom of the door to sweep the threshold. Measure the gap first so you buy the right thickness — a seal that's too thick will stop the door closing properly, and one that's too thin will do nothing. Letterbox flaps with internal brushes and a small cover for the keyhole complete the job. For a few pounds per door, you'll feel the difference immediately.

Windows and Floors

Sash and casement windows respond well to foam seals or flexible compression strips fitted inside the frame. For windows you rarely open, a tube of decorator's caulk or temporary sealant is a legitimate low-cost option — just remember it will need cutting away if you want to open them again. Cracks between floorboards can be filled with flexible filler or draught-excluding tape, and if you have suspended wooden floors, an underlay plus rugs adds warmth underfoot. Don't forget the gap where pipes pass through cupboards: a ring of silicone sealant or expanding foam closes it in minutes.

What Not to Seal

Draught proofing is about controlling airflow, not eliminating it. Homes need ventilation to stay healthy, so leave intentional vents alone:

Never block trickle vents, airbricks or wall vents
Keep extractor fan outlets clear
Do not seal rooms with open-flue gas appliances, as they need air for safe combustion
If you have a chimney you no longer use, fit a purpose-made chimney balloon or cap rather than stuffing it permanently

Over-sealing can lead to condensation and damp problems, so aim for a balance.

Small Spend, Big Comfort

Draught proofing is the rare DIY job where the tools are as cheap as the materials: scissors, a tape measure and a little patience. Start with the doors, move to the windows, then tackle floors and the loft hatch. By the time the next cold snap arrives, your heating bills — and your toes — will thank you.