As winter approaches and it starts to get cooler, you might be wondering what you can do to ensure your family stays warm and cozy indoors. A good place to start is undoubtedly by eliminating as many drafts in your house as possible because doing so will mean you do not have to spend quite so much on heating your house.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the simple things you can do to reduce drafts in your home right now:
Install weatherstripping
If you have noticed that a lot of cold air is getting in through gaps in your windows and doors, then it would be ideal to have them replaced with more efficient versions like the options at Renewal by Andersen. If that is not possible, then installing new weatherstripping that closes the gaps and ensures your windows and doors are as efficient as they can be, is a good quick fix.
Add rubber brushes
As well as weatherstripping, you can also buy rubber brush strips that you can install on your windows where they open and close. These brushes help to keep the windows flush and block any drafts from getting through and making your home colder.
Seal the baseboards
If your home has baseboards (sometimes known as skirting boards) that have gaps between them and the flooring, this can often be a source of drafts. The good news is, it is really easy to seal them by applying a layer of caulking where the baseboards meet the floor. This is something you need to do every once in a while because the caulking will shrink back over time, so be sure to check the status of your baseboards every winter.
Install secondary glazing
The more panes of glass there are in your windows, the more efficient they will be at keeping drafts out and keeping heat in. This is why double and triple glazing is such a popular choice.
If your windows are not double or triple-glazed, and it would be too costly or complicated to have new ones installed, then installing secondary glazing, which is basically a sheet of glass that sits in front of your windows on the interior side, is a good alternative that will help to keep drafts at bay, and even help to make your home a little more sound-proofed too.
Hang heavy curtains
Hanging heavy curtains is a good way to keep drafts that do get in through the windows from getting into the room properly. It will keep drafts in the window area alone, which means you will not feel quite as much of a chill as you might with other window treatments or no window treatment at all. Velvet-lined curtains are particularly good, but any thick, strong curtain material should be fine.
Invest in draft excluders
Draft excluders are basically stuffed pieces of fabric that fit along the length of your doors and windows, popping them into place whenever it is cold outside will help to prevent drafts from getting into a given room by traveling under the doors or through any gaps in windows. You can even make your own. If you’re looking for a cheap draft solution, then draft excluders certainly fit the bill.
Fill holes and plug gaps
If there are any holes in your home, even if it is just a small hole where a bracket may be, then filling it will help to keep drafts at bay. If you have lots of power sockets, then installing covers over them will help too. Basically, any source of air that is not vital for your safety, if a hole that you can probably fill or cover up to help with drafts/
Insulate your home
If you have a little more money to spend, then insulating your home, particularly the walls, roof, and under the floorboards, is a good way to keep drafts out. The more insulation you have, the less air will be able to pass in and out of your home, which means you can keep it warm in winter and cool in summer more easily than ever before, and save a lot of money in the process too, so it is definitely worth the investment.
Drafts not only make your home, and your family, cooler than they need to be, but they also make your home more inefficient, which means you end up spending far more on your utilities than necessary. Plug those drafts today for a cozier less expensive winter!
