What I’m trying to say is the only draughts you want around the house are either the board game or some gently chilling widget-tinnies of salmon and trout (stout) in the Stamford Bridge.
The other draughts, the ones that come in under doors and through cracks and gaps, should be given a bit of GBH with the old DIY post-haste. This is because, in addition to making you physically uncomfortable, draughts make opening your heating bills painful, too. Worst-case scenario, they can add about 25% to the cost of staying snug indoors. Beating draughts at their own chilly game may cost you a bit of effort short term, but will save you a lot of cash in the long run.
A draught is caused when hot air rises and is replaced by colder air, which gets in through cracks and gaps in doors and windows. Firstly, look for obvious gaps around doors and the frames of windows and doors. Look out for curtains that seem to billow slightly when drawn. Listen for whistles and slight rattling sounds around windows and doors when it is windy outside, and feel with your hands for air movement around door frames, window frames, chimneys, skirtings, outlets and vents.
External doors should be the principal focus of your efforts, as this is where the coldest air will get in, especially if you don’t have a porch.
Your next area of attention should be doors leading into cold or ventilated rooms, such as bathrooms or utility rooms. Gaps around internal doors and the sides of external doors can be sealed using strips of adhesive foam, or rubber or brush strips for surfaces that move against each other, such as patio doors or sash windows. The foam is the cheapest material, costing just a few euros a roll, but it doesn’t wear well. Rubber is better.
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Gaps at the bottom of external doors are trickier and may require more specialist fittings, either screw-on external door kits or compression threshold strips fixed to the ground under the door. The firm Exitex makes a huge range of draught excluders, most of which can be fitted by the competent DIYer.
Although they may seem a tad industrial, some experts recommend using automatic door closers between cold and warm areas.
The gaps around the outsides of doors and window frames are often quite small, but they can still let in draughts. These should be filled with a caulking compound, a relatively easy task. There are hundreds of sealants on the market, and using them gets easier all the time.
Eliminate gaps between floorboards using a silicone sealant. You could be more craftsman-like, using a mixture of wood-dust and resin filler to make a thick paste, applied with a spatula or old credit card. Or you could fit thin strips of hardboard into the gaps and then fill.
Check your letterbox to make sure it closes properly. Postmen don’t like them as a rule, but the old-fashioned box with a flap mounted on the back of the door is good for excluding draughts and better for security, too.
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Check for gaps around plumbing fitments. Holes around radiator pipes could be sealed off, as could those around waste outlets. Finally, if fire- places are never used, seal them up.
Although necessary ventilation in your home will also cause draughts, if the vents are in the right places, this shouldn’t be a problem. You should never seal them up. If you do, you put your home at risk from damp caused by condensation and your health at risk from carbon monoxide.