Archive for the ‘draft excluder’ Category
Draft Excluder Tips: What Causes Draughts?
March 22nd, 2010 | 
Author: ![stock.xchng - Blinds (stock photo by iprole) [id_ 1246999].jpg](http://www.draughtexcluderblog.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/stock.xchng-Blinds-stock-photo-by-iprole-id_-1246999.jpg)
Fitting a draft excluder or two is a fantastic way to save energy in the home. If you’ve not already fitted some to the windows and doors in your home, you could be wasting hundreds of pounds on your heating bills and pumping unnecessary into the atmosphere. Of all the energy efficiency improvements you can make, very few (if any) are as cheap and easy.
Draughts are caused when both two things happen: -
1 There are gaps in the walls, windows, doors, floor boards, etc
2 There is a pressure difference between inside and outside
Pressure differences in the home are caused by: -
a) Wind
Moving air creates a low pressure – the faster the movement, the lower the pressure. One of the best times to test your house for draughts is on a windy day.
b) Combustion
Burning wood in a fireplace causes the movement of air up the chimney. This is most obvious in the case of a wood burning with a glass window stove because as you adjust the ventilation you can see a the flames drawing air into the stove and up the chimney.
c) Extractor fans
Any air that is taken out of a bathroom or kitchen by an extractor fan will be balanced by air being drawn into to take its place.
d) The Stack Effect
Warm air is lighter than cold air so in winter and at night, when there is the biggest difference in temperature between inside and outside, this effect is most noticeable. The more stories a building has, the more this effect has. As a consequence, a draught excluder is most effective in basements or attics.
Other Handy Facts About Draught proofing:-
Draughts always take the easiest path – meaning the bigger gap, the more air will pass through. For example, an open chimney is one of the biggest problems for draught proofing.
Internal stud partitions can cause draughts as the link up the the space under the floors with the attic space.
You don’t always feel a draught. Warm air leaking out can’t easily be felt, but it will be balanced by cold air coming in somewhere in the house. That could be in a hidden spot like under the stairs or under the floorboards. One way to test your house is to walk around with some incense and watch where the smoke travels.
o Airflow will always take the path of least resistance. The greater the size of the opening, the more air will pass through. This only highlights the importance of ensuring that the largest voids are attended to first and that we discover where they are. Especially in older houses, air flow can occur through vertical channels up through the house interior. This is particularly true of wood-framed structures, but it can also occur in internal stud partitioning that connects top and bottom with the floor cavities. The same thing can apply to staircases and vertical service runs that are boxed in and allow large volumes of air to flow from floor to ceiling.
o Incoming cold air draughts arc balanced by outgoing warm air leaks. This is another obvious fact that we are often not aware of-simply because we don’t feel outgoing warm air leaks as we do incoming cold draughts. In two- or three-story buildings it is often noticeable that there are draughts at ground floor level, but these are not so apparent in the upper story or attic unless it is windy. We never go outside and up a ladder to the second floor windows on a cold day to check for hot air leaks!
Stay tuned! More draught excluder tips to come….
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Where i can get a sausage dog draught excluder sewing pattern from?
Where i can get a sausage dog draught excluder sewing pattern from?
Hi,
I’ve been looking everywhere for a sausage dog draught excluder pattern, like the Cath Kidston ones, but can’t find any anywhere, either free or for sale. Any help gratefully received.
You mean draft (like wind seeping under the door) and not draught (like beer drawn from a keg)?
Here are patterns for the draft excluder – http://www.craftycrafty.tv/2007/09/how_to_make_your_own_dog_or_sn_1.html
http://www.craftstylish.com/item/41339/how-to-make-a-hot-dog-draft-stop-for-your-front-door
Draft Excluder Related Stories
Here are a few stories about draft excluder installations and energy efficiency in general. I think they are worth looking at and hope they’re also useful to you all…
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Carbon Commentary · Is the UK subsidy for solar PV a good use of … – Eg. I worked out by doing some serious draft proofing, fitting external insulation (to a house which already had cavities filled) getting a heat recovery ventilation system my bills would fall 80%. for a cost of about £12500. …
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Carbon Commentary · Black & Decker’s thermal leak detector – If this unit only measures surface temperature it can’t flag up areas that need draft proofing, which is one of the cheapest and most effective steps most homeowners can take. Can you program in the external air temperature as well as …
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Haxey Memorial Hall gets insulated thanks to a grant from E.ON – “With this donation we will be able to install cavity wall insulation to the older parts of the building and draft proofing to the main hall, which will make our heating more efficient and improve the overall comfort for the hall users. …
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DIY Draft Proofing | Windows Restoration – Draft Proofing. Precautions. All vents and bricks must be checked for any kind of blockage. Also, ensure that the boiler flues are clear. Full draught proofing should not be installed in rooms containing gas fires, gas boilers and open …
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Restoration Process – Paint build up removed; Draft proofing routed in; Failed putty replaced; Broken glass repaired; Major joints strengthened Previous holes blemishes filled and repaired; Sash fully primed & decorated …
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Electric radiators – In the meantime we try to improve our insulation and draft proofing but we have a big problem with very poor air quality. There isnt much in the way of controllable ventilation. If the plce was more airtight i would look at MHRV as a …
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Cold-Weather Energy Savings – The important staples of an energy-efficient and cozy home during the chilly months are insulation and draft proofing. However, you can take other strategies to remain warm inside when it’s cold outside. …
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Eco-refurb on 1930′s Home: Case Study by Lucy Pedler – Airtightness test; New high performance timber windows; Cellulose insulation under flooring; 2x insulation in roof with breather membrane; 80mm external wall insulation and render; Draft proofing front door. 3. Heating/hot water: …
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Double glazing and draft-proofing | Richard Sothcott Brighton … – The photograph here shows some double glazed sashes I have been working on for a property in Brighton. I have glazed them with 14mm low-e sealed units.
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Microgeneration Technology Helps Little to Reduce Carbon Emissions – They also recommend taking simple draft proofing measures. These are great and cost effective ways to save on energy bills. However, they also recommended comparing and switching energy suppliers. All of these steps can help families …
How to stop drafts coming through sash & casement windows?
Our Edwardian house has wooden sash and casement windows which are in reasonable shape but let in a lot of cold air. Is there a good draft excluder system I can buy or a specialist company that will put one in?
My Mum bungs her windows up with plasticine – cheap enough and it works. Available in loads of colours too so you should find something to match your colour scheme!
Where can I find a pattern for sewing draught excluders?
My Nan wants some draught excluders making and she’s given me some material but I’ve never made one before. I’d really like a pattern and instructions as I’m a beginner at sewing. Many thanks!
you only have to sew one seam. Ask your Nan how fat she wants it hold a tape measure in a circle till she agrees the size and add 5/8ths of an inch extra for the seam allowance.
Make the length the size of the door plus some extra for turning in the ends and tying them. Sew down the length then turn inside out and then you can stuff it with old clean tights and then just tuck the ends in so there arent any rough edges and tie them with a piece of elastic in a bow – It should look like a wrapped sweetie. Easier to make it longer and cut it to length if you are new to sewing draw yourself a line to sew along with a pencil and ruler. If you use fleece material it is very forgiving and the stitches disappear into the cloth.
That will make washing the sausage easier becasue oyu can juts untie the ends make a tube a fraction longer than the longer than the width of the door either
Looking for extra large letterbox draught excluder?
Our letterbox measures 12" x 3" and I am unable to find a draught excluder which is long enough in UK. Most of them only fit letterboxes 11" x 3". Any ideas please?
get one for the door, and cut it.
Draft Excluder Pattern / Stuffing advice?
Hi
I am making a draft excluder i have the fabric etc but i’m not sure what to stuff it with.
any ideas on what i can use to stuff it so that 1. it stays in place and 2. actually stops the drafts.
I save old tights to use as stuffing where I don’t need hypoallergenic quality. Cut them up into smaller bits. I also save all snippets of knitting wool and small offcuts of material.