draugthy house

[strain]

I live in a draughty bungalow - the floors are wooden although I have carpets over them and there are vents all around the house. As the winter weather worsens the house is getting impossible to heat- draughts can be felt coming through ceiling lights that are sunken and around skirting boards and thorugh cupboards in the kitchen etc

Anyone any ideasI have been using clear sealant etc but would appreciate any other ideas

[willowherb]

we lived in a draughty house once and i put cling film over the windows which helped a bit in the winter..also you could make draught excluders for the doors just stuff old tights with newspaper and tie the ends..if you put one by each door it will stop a bit of draught.you could block some of the vents up for the winter except in the bedroom,,that would help a bit,,also you can buy draught excuder which you can fit to doors to minimise the draught..curtains placed over doors also help...hope these are of some use ..it will soon be spring thats something to look forward to best of luck..

[andy hughes]

You don't mention if you are financially restricted, but it might be worth getting a builder in to assess if any permanent sealings would solve your problems - weigh the cost against increased heating efficiency, you may well make back the cost in a few years. If you are on no / low income, ask the Citizens' Advice Bureau if you are elligble for any grants to make your house draught-proof - the government are keen on energy efficiency, so you may get some help from them.

[eman]

if you can then have cavity wall insulation installed and have your loft insulated,the goverment actually pay 50-60% towards it,we had our 3bed house cavity wall insulated for �165,are your facias and soffets ok as draughts will come in there and blow cold air through your ceiling.

[richfo]

I have found that you prevent a lot of draughts by laying thin sheets of hardboard under the carpets. You can chek around the window frames to see if there are any gaps then seal them. Check window closings, I used foam insulation around mine and stopped a lot of draughts. What about loft insulation? Even though it may be done already check it is the adequate thickness, if not lay some more ovver the top do not remove the old stuff unless you have too.