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Draughty house driving me nuts

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  • #16
    The things you find out when decorating your house! Not being that great at DIY or a person that knows much about building work, this is my little story about my draughty house! I have similar problems to two sheds as well as some others!

    My house was built 24 years ago, had double glazing from new, I have been there since it was first built! In 2004 I had all the windows and doors replaced by one of the bigger companies! Instead of having a back door and a window in my sitting room, as it used to be, I had the wall knocked out to include an 8ft patio door to let more light in and give a nicer view of the back garden. At times I have regretted it a little, as it is a bit draughty now. Most of the time I am at work so have not taken much notice until just lately ie last month when decorating the living room!

    Having had the carpet up and having a good look at things, I now think that that the doors were not sealed very well at all, you can almost see daylight through the gap in one corner! Not only is there a draught coming in at the bottom of the doors, more so on one side than the other! Also there is damp coming in! A little while ago I changed my curtains to a lighter colour, they are now stained and won't wash out!

    On the inside just along the doors the guys laied a run of hard wood flooring to tidy up the gap left after removing the wall that was there. They said, that was what most people have when having same sort of work done as I had! Since I had the carpet up last month, I could not quite get it back exactly where it was. There is now a howling draught right along this bit of wood as well as the door it's self. I have come to the conclusion that this wood was not sealed at all, just stuck to the floor somehow! It won't be long now having a new carpet soon so will get that edge sorted out, will try and seal it somehow!

    Unfortunately at the time the work was all being done, I had to trust the workmen to an empty house most of the time, with 2 of my neighbours to keep an eye on things for me, because I was spending all the time I could at the hospital with my dad who was dying! He died the day the patio doors were installed so I was not able to see what was going on! It all happened at once. If I had called the work off, it would have been months b4 they could re schedule the work and they had already started, it just took longer than they thought it would!

    I know it is a few years down the line now and given that the house has no doubt moved little which would not have helped matters. I say thank god for long guarantee's, ie 10 years in this case! I will be on the phone to get it sorted out, I will get them back in to sort out the gaps! If they want to play funny with me then there will be merry hell to pay! I have had enough of the cold now!
    Live like you never lived before!

    Laugh Like you never laughed before!

    Love like you never loved before!

    One Love & Unity


    http://iriejans.blogspot.com/

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    • #17
      If the gap is about half an inch or bigger use expanding foam filler as this will fill the gap to the thickness of your window frame and it insulates quite well to boot.

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      • #18
        Originally posted by pigletwillie View Post
        If the gap is about half an inch or bigger use expanding foam filler as this will fill the gap to the thickness of your window frame and it insulates quite well to boot.
        Did not think of expanding foam! That might work along the edge of the wood on the floor. Think the mastic bathroom sealant in the gun would do better around the door frame though! is just I never looked that hard at it all b4!
        Live like you never lived before!

        Laugh Like you never laughed before!

        Love like you never loved before!

        One Love & Unity


        http://iriejans.blogspot.com/

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        • #19
          My vote is for the curtains. Live in a tiny bungalow built approx 12 years ago. Heats up lovely but if I let any draughts in, home turns into a freezer. I have thermal lined velour curtains (they are as ugly as sin) but cut out all draughts. Have them on all of the windows (4) plus back and front door. My draughts are from the doors and I ain't replacing them cause I'm planning on moving (think the developers found my doors in a skip)

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          • #20
            Originally posted by FROSTYFRECKLE View Post
            My vote is for the curtains. Live in a tiny bungalow built approx 12 years ago. Heats up lovely but if I let any draughts in, home turns into a freezer. I have thermal lined velour curtains (they are as ugly as sin) but cut out all draughts. Have them on all of the windows (4) plus back and front door. My draughts are from the doors and I ain't replacing them cause I'm planning on moving (think the developers found my doors in a skip)
            I think the window company I used got the measurements a bit wrong! my curtaines are lined but not that heavy! I always leave then too long and bunch them up on the floor against the doors and make sure there are no gaps from one curtain to the next, 4 of them on 10ft pole so nicely pleated for some insulation! I know what your saying about good curtains. However I still want to close some of the gaps in the frame work if I can.
            Live like you never lived before!

            Laugh Like you never laughed before!

            Love like you never loved before!

            One Love & Unity


            http://iriejans.blogspot.com/

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            • #21
              Ask in B&Q about Heywayne's cling film stuff my mate uses it but I don't remember what it's called. I know you put it on with a hairdryer and it does keep the draft out and is easily removable in summer. The only probs it has is it can balloon inwards if the wind is in the wrong direction.
              Izi.
              Don't think its too pricey either.

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              • #22
                Originally posted by FROSTYFRECKLE View Post
                My vote is for the curtains. Live in a tiny bungalow built approx 12 years ago. Heats up lovely but if I let any draughts in, home turns into a freezer. I have thermal lined velour curtains (they are as ugly as sin) but cut out all draughts. Have them on all of the windows (4) plus back and front door. My draughts are from the doors and I ain't replacing them cause I'm planning on moving (think the developers found my doors in a skip)
                Thermal liners do work. My mum has purchased some for her house and has recommended them to me. Also the film that Hey Wayne mentions can be brought in wilko's and is easy to apply and cuts all the draughts out, I don't think its that expensive but it will save you a fortune in heating bills.
                The film still lets the light in but keeps the draughts out.

                P.s We call our mum the draught buster!
                Last edited by Herbie; 05-01-2009, 10:16 PM.
                http://herbie-veggiepatch.blogspot.com

                Updated 23rd February 2009

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                • #23
                  My dad got that film stuff years ago for our room (me 'n'sis) We didn't have double glazing or central heating in that house, so he did it over the winter and it made such a difference.
                  Have been threatening to make door curtains for ages, thermal liners sound like a must.
                  Kirsty b xx

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                  • #24
                    The thermal liners sound good - I've never heard of them before. I can vouch for curtains though, I think they make a real difference - oh, I just remembered you mentioned you have them already. Hope some of the ideas will be of use to you.
                    My hopes are not always realized but I always hope (Ovid)

                    www.fransverse.blogspot.com

                    www.franscription.blogspot.com

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                    • #25
                      Have you thought of moving?

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                      • #26
                        House is lovely & toasty this morning (I forgot to turn the CH off last night.. the banging & clanging kept Mr S awake but I had earplugs in). Even though it was on all night, it never got hotter than 20C (so the thermostat works, at least)

                        It's made such a difference to my pain & consequently my mood. I can't quite believe it. I'm going to be taking careful gas readings, to see if it's worth spending a bit extra to stay warm. At the moment it's costing me £90 pcm, and I'm still sitting around in hat, gloves and a blanket, with frozen nose & hands.

                        Also, we have the loft man coming today to fit a loft ladder. Then my brother has kindly offered to get up there and lay some more insulation (and fix the 2 small holes in the roof) Mr S can't do it as the ladder won't hold his weight
                        All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                        • #27
                          We have an old house c 1815 with sash windows where we have lived for over 25 years.. and we did the following:

                          Place a horizontal piece of ply on the lower sash window to bridge the gap between the upper and lower windows. Use a piece of seflf adhesive insulating foam under it so it bridges the gap. it will be compressed when the windows close and reduce draughts.

                          Use seconday glazing on larger windows. (even temporary plastic glazing only in winter helps).

                          Stuff floorbaords with cooking foil. to fill gaps. Better than paper as does not rot if damp. Use caulking from a gun to seal all windows.
                          Shut all doors upstairs when not in use to reduce heat loss.


                          Door snakes on all external doors plus draught excluders.

                          On windy days, note all draughts and then sort at leisure - may take a long time.

                          Wear thermal vests, longjohns , trousers and multiple layers of thin fleeces.
                          Last edited by Madasafish; 29-01-2009, 10:10 AM.

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                          • #28
                            Loads of advice, mostly good. Remember that you do need SOME ventilation.
                            "Bodgit and Fudge the builders" have been around for a long time (I have seen examples of their work 350 years old) but the 60s was something of a boom time for them!
                            A house that age, sorting draughts should be realistic. A very old house, sorting the draughts may reduce ventilation to the point where the fabric of the building suffers. If you have an EXTRACTOR in the kitchen (the ones which combine with the cooker hood are excellent), you don't need an air-brick-type ventilator as well, but kitchens produce wet air, and it needs to get OUT of the house or you will get condensation problems.
                            When insulating lofts, do NOT put insulation right into the eaves. Air needs to be able to get in and out of the loft-space. Make sure any tanks are insulated, and pipes lagged, becacause once the loft is insulated ot will get COLDER up there.
                            If the window frames are poor fitting in the 'hole in the brickwork', that is bad workmanship (not entirey surprising on a house just that age...) and it should be possible to fill with SOMETHING, if the windows don't close well, there are various kinds of draught excluder.
                            The other option which may be appropriate (after sorting draughts) would be cavity wall insulation, but DON'T get it done by a company that assumes every cavity walled house is suitable, some aren't and the company should investigate and refuse if things aren't right (eg, cables in the cavity)
                            Flowers come in too many colours to see the world in black-and-white.

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