Tuesday, 9 April 2013

The Best Ideas In Draught Proofing For The Home

By Chris Caldwell


There are some quick and easy draught proofing tips for homeowners and renters. Many people with older homes cannot afford to replace the windows. Instead they must deal with draughty sash windows and high winter heating bills. Fortunately there are some steps they can take to make the house much more comfortable and save themselves a lot of money.

Many home owners cannot afford to replace all their windows. Sometimes they may have to delay this expensive improvement for several years. In the mean time they must manage as best they can with old, draughty sash windows. The problem actually has two aspects. Not only is cold air coming in, but much of the warm air in the house is getting out. Stopping this expensive problem can be easier than many people think. Learning about simple insulation techniques is a good place to start.

It is important to check each individual window for draughts. Even older windows can be in good condition. Depending on the severity of the problem, there are a number of fast and easy ways to deal with the problem. One of the first steps may be to re caulk the windows. This involves some time to remove all the old caulk around each pane of glass. Then a new layer of caulking compound can be applied. It is amazing how much warmer the house will be.

Caulking compound can be make of several different materials. Most is a basic silicone that has many advantages, it is pliable, inexpensive and non toxic. Caulk can also be made of polyurethane or latex foam. It is readily available from all home improvement or hardware stores. It if an easy project that pretty much anyone can do, even those with little or no DIY experience.

Once they have successfully stopped the worst of the draughts it is a great idea to invest in good quality curtains. Many people are surprised by how effective the new thermal and insulated curtains can be. They keep out a lot of the cold air, and in summer they can also help to keep the home cool.

One of the most popular ways to keep draughts at bay is by fixing plastic sheeting over the windows. Although it does not look very nice, it does a great job. Many people are finding that they can apply the plastic in only a few minuets. Kits are available at very low prices and have everything necessary to cover the draughty windows. This includes the plastic sheeting and double sided tape.

The plastic sheet is cut to completely cover the glass and reach to the window frames. The homeowner then applies double sided tape which keeps the plastic sheet tight. Some people even use a hair dryer on a low setting to finish, although this step is optional. The kits are very reasonably priced and so an excellent job of keeping the rooms warmer.

Anyone faced with the problem of draught proofing should be aware of all the options. There is certainly no need to suffer through a cold winter or deal with unnecessarily high heating bills. There are many quick, easy and affordable ways to keep the cold air out and the warm air in.




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