DraughtBusters

Energy saving advice and help

  • About
    • What people say about us
    • A typical DraughtBust
    • Helping to set up other groups
    • Frequently asked questions
    • A DraughtBusters Talk
  • Draught proofing
    • How to get started
    • A Case Study
    • Why draughts?
    • Windows and doors
      • Front Door
      • Draughty roof windows
      • Trickle Ventilators
      • uPVC door problems
      • UPVC window seals
    • Redundant AirBricks
    • Floors
    • Loft and first floor ceilings
    • Loft Traps
    • Pet Flaps
    • What is going on under your bath?
  • Finding Draughts
    • How to survey a building for draughts
    • Problem encountered during 2021/2022
    • Dry lined homes
    • Modern timber frame
    • Victorian terraced houses
    • Chalet Bungalow
    • Cross walled homes
    • Early cavity wall homes
    • Concrete panel houses
    • Solid stone and cob homes
  • Help Reducing Energy Use
  • Advanced Air Sealing
    • Problems with Drylined Homes
      • Problems with dot and dabbed walls
      • Around openings in walls
      • Draughts in the first floor void
    • Going Further
      • First Floor Void
      • Condensation mini case study
      • Controlling your heating system
      • Heat loss from unused chimneys
      • Types of damp in the home
      • Draughts and condensation
      • In House Winter Cooling Systems
    • More Advanced
      • Upgrading to Underfloor Heating
      • Lead Pumping
      • Why so many flat roofs fail
      • Summer Condensation
  • Contact

How to get started

Basic draught proofing is not difficult. With the possible exception of a caulking gun, you will probably already have all the tools for a basic draught proofing project. The materials are a bit more specialised, but all are generally readily available from your local hardware shop, one of the DiY superstores or a builder’s merchant.

Basic draught proofing projects tend to focus on four sources of draughts:

  • ill-fitting windows and doors
  • gaps in floors
  • gaps at ceiling and loft level
  • gaps around openings in external walls (including for windows, doors and pipes).

 

Tools

The most useful tools are a pair of scissors to cut draught strips, a green/yellow sponge kitchen scouring pad to clean rebates and reveals before adhering draught seals, a caulking gun to fill cracks and small holes and a set of general small hand tools.

Materials

Draught strips come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and unfortunately one size does not fit all gaps. We carry a range of foam strips, small, medium, large and jumbo sizes in white and brown, brush strips, butyl-rubber ‘P’ and ‘E’ strips. Both white decorators caulk and silicone are used, various other types of silicone which are best not used against painted surfaces except outside.

Please carefully note the position of the draught strip on the jamb side – we frequently find this strip located in the wrong place.

This shows where to fit draught strips to a door (or old style casement window) very well:

  • Sponge for cleaning door and window rebates
  • Safety scissors
  • Caulk
  • Point-nose pliers
  • Pliers and mini pozi
  • Chisel
  • Torch for inspecting dark corners
  • Junior hacksaw for cutting draught seals with carriers
  • Stanley knife
  • Tape measure
  • Screwdrivers
  • Hammer
  • Downloads
  • FAQs

Copyright © 2023 · Outreach Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in