There’s nothing better than a cosy autumn night at home – fluffy socks on, a warm drink in hand, and maybe a film on the TV.
But nothing ruins the mood quicker than a chilly draught sneaking in under the doors or rattling through the windows and our new house has plenty of ‘problem’ areas so I’ve been doing a bit of research around the things we can do to specifically fix any draughts.
We know that the house has lots of things that we need to do to get it to where we want it to be but we have been honest with ourselves and acknowledged that we won’t get all jobs done straight away. Moving in mid-Winter (if all goes according to plan) means that we’re going to need to do some quick fixes and prioritise the things that can’t wait. Then we’ll pick off the less urgent ones slowly but ready for next Winter.
So, after my research about what works as a good fraught excluder, I can happily share the good news – You don’t need to spend a fortune to keep the warmth in and the cold out.
Here are some simple, budget-friendly draught-proofing hacks to try this autumn.
1. Roll Up a Towel or Blanket
Before you dash out and buy anything, use what you already have. A rolled-up towel or blanket pushed against the bottom of a draughty door does the job just as well as fancy draught excluders – and costs nothing.
2. DIY Draught Excluder
If you’re feeling crafty, make your own! Fill an old pair of tights, a pillowcase, or even a long sock with rice, old clothes, or stuffing from an old cushion. Tie or sew the ends, and you’ve got a homemade draught excluder that works just as well as the shop-bought versions. I plan for this to be my go-to and I’m already looking out for nice fabric in the charity shops.
I did have my eye on a pair of trousers last week that I thought would be an easy transformation but I changed my mind as I thought I’d see if I could get some really lovely fabric and start from scratch. I had a look on Vinted and managed to get some lovely Liberty fabric for £3 to make my first one with.
3. Bubble Wrap the Windows
It might not look glamorous, but I’ve read that bubble wrap is a brilliant insulator for single-glazed or draughty windows. Cut it to size, spray the window with a little water, and stick the bubble side against the glass. It traps the air, keeps the heat in, and can be easily peeled off when you don’t need it anymore.
4. Seal Gaps with Sticky Tape
Double-sided draught-proofing tape or weatherstrip tape is cheap and quick to apply around window frames and doors. Even standard masking tape over small gaps can make a big difference (just be careful on paintwork). I’ve found some on Amazon that costs around a fiver so I may need to have some of that on standby for our old sash windows.
5. Close the Curtains Early
Thick curtains are one of the easiest ways to keep the heat in. As soon as it starts to get dark, shut them to stop heat escaping through the glass. If you don’t have heavy curtains, you can add a fleece blanket or even a shower curtain liner clipped to the back for an extra layer of insulation. Our new house doesn’t have big thick curtains – it actually has net curtains up that I can’t wait to take down so I’m planning on making my own curtains as soon as I can get the measurements that I need. I’ve done it before with smaller sized curtains so I’m hoping that it’s not going to be that hard to do a larger pair.
6. Layer up with rugs
Bare floors can let draughts creep through so if you’ve got wooden or tiled floors, throw down rugs or blankets for a quick fix. Charity shops are brilliant places to pick up second-hand rugs for next to nothing and Ikea has some great ones for not very much. The house we’re buying has carpets in but under the carpets, we’re really hopeful for some floorboards that we can work with and if that’s the case, then we’ll do what we can with floorboards and add some rugs to stop the draughts.
7. Block the Chimney (Safely!)
If you’ve got an unused fireplace, it could be letting a lot of cold air in. A chimney balloon is designed for this, but if you’re on a budget, roll up an old duvet or cushion and wedge it inside (just make sure you remove it before lighting any fires!). We have two open fireplaces that we may or may not use but I suspect that we’ll be blocking them up for the short term while we decide.
8. Rearrange Your Furniture
This is a simple one – move sofas and chairs away from draughty windows or doors so you feel warmer when relaxing in the evenings with the draught not blowing on you.
A few quick fixes like these can save you money on heating bills and make your home feel snug all autumn and winter long and I’m fully expecting to be implementing half of these in our new house.
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