With energy costs rising each year, it’s no surprise that keeping their homes warm and costs down is a top priority for many people. A major cause of heat loss is through exterior doors and draughts can significantly lower the temperature of your home. In fact, according to the Energy Saving Trust, draught-proofing around windows and doors could save you up to £35 per year. Minimising draughts also allows you to run your heating at a lower temperature, pocketing you even more savings.
The good news is that once you’ve identified where you’re losing heat, it’s easy to take steps to prevent it. We’ve looked at some common causes of heat loss through exterior doors and given simple solutions to prevent it.
Letterboxes
Research has shown that up to 27% of heat loss in your hallway is down to letterboxes alone. It’s not hard to understand why; a letterbox is essentially just a hole in your door after all! Obviously boarding it up altogether isn’t a practical solution, so what can you do?
The good news is that solutions are affordable and easy to install. Internal letterbox draught excluders can be easily bought online and from DIY stores at a low cost and will prevent draughts without annoying your postman. Simply fit the excluder to the inside of the door and the draught-proof brushes and cover will stop any pesky breezes in their tracks.
Around the edges
Even small gaps around the edges of your exterior doors can allow draughts to get through but there are plenty of options to prevent them. A low-cost option is to install foam strips, creating a seal between the door and the frame. Foam strips can be purchased from most DIY stores and usually come in rolls, allowing you to cut the exact size you need so there’s no wastage.
It’s important not to forget the bottom of the door, where there is usually a larger gap. A draught excluder is the best option here. You can either buy a brush excluder which is permanently attached to the bottom of the door, or in a pinch you can make your own by stuffing old tights.
If you’ve got a bigger budget, you might want to consider investing in a new door altogether.
Composite doors have been proved to be 19% more efficient than solid timber core doors, and 17% more efficient than traditional timber panelled doors, thanks to their environmentally friendly, high performance insulating core.
Windows
People often forget that windows can also be a source of heat loss but they are a big contributor. The most effective way to prevent it is to install a front door with double or triple glazing, which is much more energy efficient than single glazed glass. If you have an old door and aren’t able to get it re-glazed, then an easy and cost effective solution is to tape a few layers of plastic wrap to the glass. Clingfilm from your kitchen is an easy and quick option, or you can buy specialist thick plastic from DIY stores.