When winter drafts creep in, a door draft stopper is a simple yet effective way to retain heat and boost energy efficiency. According to one U.S. Department of Energy report, the average home loses 25 to 40 percent of its heat through walls and gaps around windows and doors.
While they can help you save on energy costs and work well for interior doors if you're trying to conserve energy by only heating or cooling specific rooms in your home, draft stoppers are no substitute for properly weatherstripping your exterior doors and windows.
Draught excluders are a great way to keep warm air inside your home and cold air out. By reducing the amount of cold air that infiltrates your home, they help to reduce energy costs and save money on bills, as well as improving indoor air quality.
Most door stops, if wedged behind the door, will indeed stop intruders from coming in.
Caulk and Sealants
Even the smallest gaps and cracks around your door frame can allow cold air to infiltrate your home, impacting your home's comfort and energy efficiency. Caulk and sealants are essential tools for sealing these openings and creating an airtight seal.
Draught proofing is a process that involves sealing gaps and openings around and in windows and doors to prevent cold air from entering and warm air from escaping. This is achieved by fitting draught strips and other products to improve thermal performance.
Use solid stops or heavy-duty hinge pin stops for thicker, solid-core doors, and if you choose hinge stops, install them on both the top and bottom hinges if the door is exceptionally heavy. If your door tends to swing on its own, consider a magnetic stop to hold the door open.
When it comes to mounting door stops, the general recommendation is to install them on the skirting board whenever feasible. This placement keeps them out of the way, as the area behind doors is typically not where people walk, making them less obtrusive.
Use foam, metal or plastic draught strips (see below), or brush seals for sash windows. Fit brush or hinged-flap draught excluders, fitted along the bottom of the doors (see over). Cut draughts with 'snake' draught excluders (photo, right), or similar strips of material (see over).
Benefits of draught proofing
Draught proofing stops warm air from escaping your home in winter and hot air from entering in summer, saving you money and making your home more comfortable. Up to 25% of winter heat loss from existing houses is caused by air leakage (also known as draughts).
As a filler for our draft blocker, we used rice, but you can fill it with just about anything that will keep the cold out like batting, rolled-up plastic grocery bags, flaxseed or even kitty litter. This project is simple to sew and great for beginners or anyone looking for a quick sewing project.
Use a draft stopper any time you want your home to stay warm and cozy. You'll notice almost immediately the difference in a room's temperature when you do. Winter is the optimum time to break out your draft stoppers, but they can also keep you cool by blocking out hot air during the summer months.
A doorstop (also door stopper, door stop or door wedge) is an object or device used to hold a door open or closed, or to prevent a door from opening too widely.
Protection against damage: Door stoppers prevent doors from hitting walls, furniture or other objects and damaging them. This is particularly important to prevent scratches, dents or peeling paint. Safety: Doorstops can prevent doors from slamming suddenly, preventing injuries from trapped fingers or hands.
Steel doors are among the best front doors for security.
Jam the door shut with a wooden, plastic, or rubber wedge.
Close your door and stick the pointy end of the wedge in the gap between the floor and the door. Kick it in until it's immovable. Alternatively, make a doorstop out of household items like a shoe or cardboard box.
Start by checking your attic, basement and crawl spaces for any cracks, gaps and openings where cold air may be coming through. You can also try a smoke test. On a windy day, shut all windows and doors, and turn off all appliances. Then hold a lit incense stick next to potential air leakage spots.
Professional draught-proofing could cost around £250 for your whole house. DIY draught-proofing will be cheaper. If you're happy carrying out simple DIY tasks, draught-proofing will be no problem. However, some homes, especially older homes with single glazing, will be more difficult to draught-proof.
The most frequent cause of a drafty home is improper air sealing and leaks from your doors and windows, says Josh Lake, co-founder at Elephant Energy. “This is especially true in older homes where windows and doors can warp, creating gaps that allow cold air to leak in,” he says.