Guide for Stopping Draughts in the Winter:
During the colder, windy months, you will notice a difference in the amount of cold air coming into your house through and around your doors and windows. This can have a major effect on the amount of energy you need to keep your home at a constant warm temperature. According to Aberdeen City Council, 15% of heat in our homes escapes through the gaps around doors and windows.
Thankfully, there are small improvements you can make to fix any problem areas to ensure a draught-free home.
Door Frames:
Wooden doors are the worst for draughts as they warp over time due to the wood's expansion and contraction through the weather.
Obviously, a long-term solution would be to upgrade your door to a uPVC model, which is fully sealed.
However, this may not be an option for you, so we would recommend applying draught stripping to different parts of the door frame. This won’t fix your problem entirely, but it is a good way to keep the cold air outside.
Key Holes:
You will be surprised to find out that keyholes are a source of heat loss, especially as it is normally so difficult to get your key in!
However, the amount of air that manages to get through won’t help your draught situation. Invest in a pivoting cover over the keyhole internally and externally to completely protect yourself from cold air and rain.
Bottom of the Door:
Cat Flaps:
Before you even install a flap in your door, you need to do some research and find one that uses a magnetic closing, making it difficult to push open by the wind.
Magnetic cat flaps operate by a magnet attached to the frame and another attached to the flap itself. If you have one of these and the cold is still coming through, think about using sealant around the outside of the flap for a secure fit.
Letterboxes:
Letterboxes are another must have piece of door furniture and accessory that cause problems!
Unless you are happy to have a separate letterbox attached to the wall or an American free-standing one you will face the issue of it being drafty.
The best solution for this is to buy one with draught, excluding brushes through the middle or on either side; this should prevent it from being blown open.
If you have tried all of the above and can still feel the cold chill entering your house, there may be no other option than purchasing a new door to keep your home warm and energy efficient.
