Here at The Hairy Worm, we specialise in manufacturing and supplying a variety of high-quality sealing products for draught proofing. Today we are going to focus on draught proofing in order to prevent heat loss and save on your heating bills. In the UK, energy bills are currently set to increase by 54% in April 2022. Whilst there are many political reasons for this, it is likely something consumers will have to accept. However, in order to lessen the impact, it is worthwhile investing in cost-effective draft proofing to prevent heat loss at home. Read on to find out more about how to draft proof your home and save on your future heating bills.
Locate Draughts in the Home
You need to find the source of any draughts to be able to find solutions. Look around your property for any uncovered gaps. These are places where you could be losing warm air, as well as letting cold outdoor air inside. Key places to look to draft proof are windows, doors, floorboards, loft hatches, keyholes, letterboxes, chimneys and fireplaces. Depending on the area you need to fix, there are various different methods to seal gaps in your building, including weatherstripping tape, brush strips at the bottom of external doors, draught excluders, flexible sealant and compression threshold strips (as well as letterbox brushes and covers).
How do I Draught-proof My Window?
Self-adhesive foam or rubber strip can draft proof a window by simply to attaching to the window frame. We recommend rubber strips as the strongest option, which are available in different thicknesses and qualities. First, you cut it to size, then peel away the backing paper and stick it to the window frame. Make sure you measure it accurately as if it is too long, it will get caught when closing the window, and if it’s too short, t will fail to close the gap completely. Don’t pull or stretch the strip as if it gets misshapen or it is likely to impact the functioning.
How do I Draught-proof My Doors?
One of the more obvious areas to draft-proof is on exterior doors. You can fit a brush strip or hinged flap strip in order to prevent heat loss. Again, like window seals, you will need to cut it to size so the bristles or flexible hinged strip touches the floor without dragging too much. Once in position, you screw it into place. You can also use a self-adhesive strip like with your windows, or you can use a fabric excluder, but these are not as efficient.
Other Areas to Draught-proof
Even smaller areas around your home can add to the draughty feel of your home. To maximise your draught-proofing, you can fit your letterbox with a strong, spring-mounted flap and an interior flap or brush unit, and you can also get covers for keyholes. Furthermore, you can fill gaps in floorboards, use self-adhesive strips on loft-hatches, and so on.
A Note on Ventilation
All the above methods will help to insulate your property, preventing heat loss and therefore aiming to save you money on your heating bills. However, ventilation is still important, especially in kitchens and bathrooms as these rooms produce a lot of moisture. You can make sure there is still adequate airflow by using extractor fans, wall vents, trickle vents and under-floor grilles or airbricks.
Contact Us
For more information and advice about draught proofing to prevent heat loss in your home so you can save on your heating bills, please get in touch with us by completing our contact form or by emailing us at info@thehairyworm.co.uk. Alternatively, you can also call us on 0161 622 0020 in order to speak to a member of our dedicated team directly. We will be happy to help with any queries you may have for us about draught proofing and the products that we sell.