DraughtBusting activity continues with some work and a lot of consultancy outside the area.
Some very very draughty new homes in the British Isles contacted us to seek advice on rectification works. This is tragic and widespread in England but generally unknown about, not rectified or reported. I intend to visit Ireland in February hopefully with a student or researcher to write reports on the problems that were encountered.
Draught proofing activity was carried out on single properties in both Bristol and Brighton.
Locally about twenty properties were attended to, we are still finding missing draught seals to loft hatches, holes round pipes, draughts round window frames and under window boards. Several letter plate secondary brush seals, general holes, gaps and cracks.
We have seen a lot of problems with uPVC doors, the vast majority of these were adjusted either at the latch keep or the shoot bolt keeps. One needed new tubular rubber seals fitted as existing were perished, brittle and useless. We saw two windows with broken friction stays, we do our best to make these work again at least temporarily but recommend contacting the housing association to get replacements. The most remarkable was a 30 year old wooden casement where the sash missed the frame mullion be a few millimetres and had daylight visible when closed, moving the friction stay over 5mm sorted the problem, it is unbelievable that it had not been done already by someone else.
We are starting to find jumbo size trickle vents that don’t/won’t close and sealing them up.