Alternatively, you can light a candle and use it to find the source. Move the candle around the edge of a frame — the flame will flicker where the draught is coming in. Curtains are an effective way of improving your window performance — in summer and in winter — because they keep an air pocket between the curtain and glass.
In winter a good, thick, lined curtain will reduce heat loss through your windows, as well as reducing draughts and the feeling of cold radiating into the room.
The air between the curtain and the pane of glass needs to be still for the curtains to be effective. Make sure your curtains close well, and that there are no gaps around the edges. Have curtains that go down to the floor to stop cold air escaping at the bottom. Pelmets can help stop cold air escaping at the top of windows also. Tracks designed to fit close to the wall or window frame also help with this.
Curtains can be a cheap way to improve your window insulation and stop draughts. You can make your own insulated curtains — buy the insulating lining and sew it on the back of existing curtains. Alternatively, try curtain banks for a cheap source of second-hand curtains — make sure they fit your windows down to the floor. A good variety can be found at your local community energy group. Curtains on the Eco Design Advisor website provides practical and detailed advice. If you are building a new house, prevent future draughts by sealing gaps between window and door frames and the wall framing during construction, and ensuring your floors, walls and ceiling have snug-fitting insulation installed.
These old style recessed light fittings create a hole in your ceiling and insulation that draws warm air up into your ceiling space. Downlights and recessed lighting has more information. Well-installed insulation with no gaps will also keep out draughts, especially under a timber floor. You may also have gaps between your floor and skirting board.
You can use sealant to seal these. Vacuum carefully around the gaps to be sealed and then apply the sealant directly into the gaps. Open fires are a source of draughts as warm air is drawn up the chimney.
If your open fire is not in use, block it off. Keep your home warm and save energy and money using this guide on the Building Performance website. Other common areas to look for gaps and air leaks include where skirting meets the wall; brick meets wood trimming, and where pipes and cables leave the house. The best way to fill these small gaps is by using silicone sealant while bigger gaps are best filled with expanding polyurethane spray foam.
Some states offer rebates for professionally installed draught-proofing while others provide free materials to concession card holders. Although draught-proofing your home is the simplest and quickest way to increase the energy-efficiency of your home, making sure you have the right energy plan will reduce long-term energy costs. Try EnergyAustralia's online energy calculator to find the right option for you.
Pick a plan. Read more. Find out more. Better energy. Service your air conditioner A draught is a current of air that either escapes or comes into your home through gaps in the seals of windows, doors, vents, skirting and other main joinery.
Doors Air most often leaks into the house through the bottom of outside doors. Windows The same weather stripping used for doors can also be applied between the sash and frame of windows. Replace your fixed or permanent vent with a Black Hole vent, which has baffles, a sort of maze that regulates the airflow and prevent draughts. Sheep wool insulation can absorb and release moisture without losing effectiveness, although it is considerably more expensive than standard insulation.
It can be used in a new internally applied dry-lining system, if the building fabric is suitable, he says. From a reputable supplier, sheep wool should be washed and treated to repel moths. Proponents say it is more more efficient, environmentally friendly and healthy. A surveyor, engineer or energy auditor can do an air tightening test using a smoke gun to check where air is entering a house.
If cold air is coming in, warm air is escaping. But the catch 22 is you need regular air exchange to avoid condensation and mould developing. So in any building you need a constant interplay and balance between draughtproofing and ventilation. If you eliminate draughts altogether chance would be a fine thing , you can go too far; a building with excellent insulation and air tightness needs adequate ventilation.
Quite apart from the downside of totally airtight buildings, Larkin points out the damage caused by drying clothes indoors on radiators or clothes horses. In inspecting homes with condensation or mould problems, drying clothes is often the root. As it dries, all that moisture has to go somewhere, and that will be to the coldest room in the house, which is where a problem will manifest.
If clothes are dried indoors, a greater air exchange is needed, warns Larkin, so opening windows to let the moisture out is essential. Ventilation in bathrooms is also crucial, he points out; again, the moisture has to go somewhere. Fans in some homes are deactivated, or if linked to the lightswitch, the 15 minute run-on is reduced. Using a fan in a bathroom that is not otherwise ventilated is crucial to prevent mould. Most vents in older houses are essentially holes in the wall, which let the wind run through your house.
Demand control ventilation, which is activated by humidity or moisture in the air, is standard in new builds with intelligent airflow management, but most existing homes were built before the technology. There is a caveat says Simon Jones of Aereco , which specialises in building-wide ventilation systems.
You should only do something that limits ventilation if there are no signs of mould or condensation already, as these indicate poor air quality - and thus you may need those draughts. A phonecall to Aereco will help clarify what you need. Older and period homes can have particular problems. Wall insulation — exterior, interior or cavity — is often not possible because of architectural features, and single-glazed windows in themselves create a draught.
Window replacement is generally frowned upon.
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