Draft-Proof Your Home

Before you start sealing, you need to find where the cold air is entering from.

Common draft areas include:

• Windows and Doors: Around the frames, sashes (openable parts), keyholes, and letterboxes.
• Floorboards and Skirting Boards: Gaps between the boards and where the skirting meets the wall.
• Chimneys and Fireplaces: Especially unused ones.
• Pipework and Vents: Where pipes, cables, or external vents (like dryer or extractor fan outlets) enter or exit the house.
• Electrical Outlets and Light Switches: On exterior walls.
• Loft Hatches

Simple Draft Detection Tests:

The Hand Test: On a windy or cold day, simply move your hand around potential gaps to feel for cold air.

The Candle/Incense Test: Close windows and doors. Turn off fans and the furnace. Slowly move a lit candle or a stick of incense near suspected draft areas. If the flame flickers or the smoke swirls unnaturally, you've found a leak.

If your door is the source of the draft, consider the following:

Gaps around the frame

Use self-adhesive foam strips or metal/plastic strips with brushes or wipers.

Bottom of the Door

Install a door sweep (a strip of plastic, metal, or vinyl with a brush or rubber seal) on the interior bottom edge. Alternatively, use a removable door snake or fabric draft excluder.

Keyhole

Install a keyhole cover (an escutcheon plate with a swiveling or drop-down flap).

Letterbox

Fit a letterbox brush or a hinged, sprung flap on the inside to create a seal.

If a window is the source of the draft, consider the following:

Gaps Around the Sash or Casement

Use self-adhesive foam strips or V-seal weather-stripping (especially good for sliding windows) on the frame where the window closes.

Gaps Between the Frame and Wall

Use caulk (acrylic latex for smaller gaps, silicone for bathrooms/kitchens) to seal the space where the window frame meets the exterior or interior wall.

Sliding Sash Windows

Install brush strips into the grooves of the sash window.

Non-Opening Windows or Cracked Panes

Use a silicone sealant around the glass pane or frame. Replace any cracked or broken glass immediately.

Thermal Curtains

Hang heavy or thermal curtains to reduce window drafts

Window Film

Add a window film to create a barrier to stop cold air from coming in.

If your floors, walls, or ceilings are the source of the draft, consider the following:

Floorboards and Skirting Boards

Use flexible sealant, decorator's caulk, or gap filler strips in the spaces between floorboards and where skirting boards meet the floor and wall. Use a flexible product to allow for wood movement.

Pipes and Vents (where they exit the wall)

Use silicone sealant for small gaps or expanding polyurethane foam for larger holes around plumbing pipes, dryer vents, and electrical conduits.

Chimneys and Fireplaces (not in use)

Use a specialized product like a chimney balloon or a chimney sheep designed to be removed before a fire is lit. Never block an active chimney, appliance flue, or air brick.

Loft Hatch and Attic Access

Apply foam or rubber weather-stripping around the hatch perimeter and ensure the hatch itself is properly insulated.

Outlets and Light Switches

For any electrical work, please consult with a professional electrician.

When sealing a garage door, you will need to apply weather stripping along the top, sides and bottom of the door.

Sides and Top

Apply weather stripping tape or vinyl along the frame so the flexible edge presses against the closed door.

Bottom

Install a rubber seal or a door sweep to the bottom edge. Make sure to adjust and re-secure any loose sections to ensure a tight seal.

While draft-proofing is great for energy efficiency, your home still needs some ventilation to prevent moisture build-up, dampness, and mould, and to ensure the safe operation of combustion appliances (like boilers, water heaters, and fireplaces).

Do Not Block:

• Exterior wall vents specifically designed for ventilation.
• Extractor fans or wall/window trickle vents in kitchens and bathrooms (where moisture is created).
• Appliance flues or any vent related to a furnace or gas appliance.

Draft-proofing should target uncontrolled air leaks, not necessary ventilation points.