Draught Excluder Tips and Tricks?

[AMc]

Despite knowing about insulation & glazing thanks to our recent conversion project I know pretty little about sealing the edges of doors and windows. Previous attempts with sticky foam have been hit and miss and I'd like to get it right this time.

I have a few problems...

1 - the original 'back kitchen' door has been lovingly reused. It's a four panel door with the top two panels single glazed and opens into an unheated porch. Unfortunately when it got colder it warped with the top corner of the opening side 'peeling' back into the room and doesn't shut into the frame properly. I have 5mm gap at the top and nothing at the bottom. Suggestions? Is it worth buying a router to install a proper draft strip mid door?

2 - The massive 1.4m x 1.4m loft hatch has a massive 5mm gap around it. It swings down and is hinged on one side. It doesn't close very evenly. My previous attempt with foam strip on the edge has come away so I'm looking for a better solution. Any product recommendations?

3 - the bathroom window has a opening casement with a wider 'frame' on the outside of the opening section. This forms a good barrier against rain but it doesn't fit well in the frame despite a thorough overhaul in the summer. There is about 2-5mm gap in places. Foam on the inside of the frame? Something else?

I know these small draughts are losing me heat and money but trips to the DIY shed & Screwfix are also costing me money on products I'm not sure will work well or last.

I'm also looking for any other general hints and tips as I'm sure we can all do with a bit more warmth right now!

 

[Penners]

Forgive me for stating the bleedin' obvious but any draught strip will do the job, provided it's well squashed into the gap. So a squidgy draught strip a fair bit thicker than 5mm should adequately seal a 5mm gap.

I agree, however, that the self-adhesive stuff isn't very satisfactory. It invariably somes unstuck after a while. So some form of strip that is mechanically attached in place will almost certainly be more durable.

 

[Louis Henry]

I've got a lovely and fairly efficient draught excluder on my gappy front door - a long strip of leather nailed on the frame down one edge, which makes the other edge stick out and rub against the door. I got the idea from a Landmark I stayed in years ago. I also use loads of cheap self adhesive foam then throw it away in the spring on windows that I actually open and close.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Curtains and blinds make a tremendous difference. Having floor-length curtains above the double doors in our hall has transformed it. Have you got them up?

 

[AMc]

Forgive me for stating the bleedin' obvious but any draught strip will do the job, provided it's well squashed into the gap. So a squidgy draught strip a fair bit thicker than 5mm should adequately seal a 5mm gap.

The problem is that the gaps aren't even. On the back door I have 5mm at the top (side and against the frame) and nothing at the bottom. The door is snug on the bottom edge and at the hinge. Anything I stick at the top between the door and frame won't compress enough to allow the bottom to close.

Curtains and blinds make a tremendous difference. Having floor-length curtains above the double doors in our hall has transformed it. Have you got them up?

I do take your point. We have long curtains on the front door (used by the Postman and hypothetically the Queen) and they cut the draught a lot. Looking to replace with thermal interlined ones when the horrid painting is done. Likewise shutters and curtains elsewhere make even our double glazed windows warmer inside.

The backdoor has two steps down into the kitchen so I can't see a way of hanging anything there. I'm not a fan of fabric in kitchens if avoidable.
The bathroom again is a 'no go' for curtains unless we go for a black mould motif or an attractive wipe clean vinyl
The loft hatch would be hard to hang curtains on but I might consider it

I was looking at the around the "heavy duty door strips" and "compression draught excluders" here but wondered if they were going to be any good before I stump up £15?
http://www.screwfix.com/cats/A332983/Ironmongery/Draught-Rain-Excluders/Rain-Draught-Excluders

I love the leather idea, but I can't see it passing with my partner!

Thanks for the thoughts, hopefully they're helpful to others too.

 

[Andrew Bodenham]

AMc,

Your experience is very common, and it's not just older properties that suffer from ill-fitting joinery. The fundamental problem with compression draught strips is that they require compression in order to seal. This has to be provided by the user (pushing the door or window shut) then maintained by the hardware (locks or latches). In the case of a door this often fails because of irregular gaps, or because the door bends slightly at top and bottom where it doesn't have the clamping force of the latch to hold it in place. And the resistance of the draught stripping can make it difficult to shut the door easily. The same problems apply to windows.

What's the answer? It's not always easy, but I've had success with fitting 'wiping' seals such as Aquamac 21 which are rebated into the door / window frame and seal onto the edge rather than the face of the door. The gap accomodation is from 0 - 5mm, and warp / twist in the plane of the door does not affect the seal. This system is straightforward to fit in new work, but can be tricky in existing situations as it's not always possible to get access for the router to cut the installation slot. However, it is the best solution I've used. Ironmongery Direct carry the seals, as do others. Wealden, Axminster or Reddiseals for router cutters.
The same system can be applied to casements.

 

[AMc]

Thanks Andrew - that does look like a great solution but I'm not convinced that I can cut the groove in the frame. Having done some carpentry but never routed I'd need to buy/rent a router but I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the cost of the cutters!

DO you think that its practical to route the door and attach the Aquamac to the edge or is that going to be too tough to cut or fail in some way?

FWIW Axminster were cheaper for the strip
http://www.axminster.co.uk/recno/1/product-Trend-Aquamac-21-Door-Seal-21115.htm