Letting some fresh air into your house reduces the risk of damp and condensation, and opening windows on a hot summer’s day will provide a refreshing indoor breeze. It’s a different story, though, when uncontrolled ventilation in the form of draughts plague your home in cooler weather.
Draughty windows result in too much cold air entering your home while warm air escapes. This means you need to use more energy to keep your home at a comfortable temperature, and as the heating goes up, so do your energy bills.
Read on to find out why windows become draughty and the various options to solve the problem.
What Causes Draughty Windows?
Cold air that enters your home through the windows usually comes from a gap that remains when the window is closed. This can happen because the seal around the frame has degraded, the sash has dropped, or the hinges, handle, or lock are damaged.
Besides causing a draught, these issues are also a security risk, making forced entry easier.
Draughts are common in single-glazed windows but can also occur with double glazing.
Draughts from Double-Glazed Windows
Double glazing is usually long lasting and hard wearing, although issues may sometimes arise, especially with the sealed glazing unit.
If your double glazing is less than 20 years old and has been properly installed in the first place, you shouldn’t usually get any problems such as draughts from your windows. However, with older double-glazed windows, draughts may be an indication that the performance of your windows is failing in other ways too, and it may be time to replace your windows.
Simple Ways to Check for Draughts from Your Windows
If your house has become draughty, the windows are a likely culprit. This can easily be confirmed on a windy day.
Run your hand around the edges of the window. If there’s a draught, you’ll feel it. Alternatively, you could hold a lighted candle near the window frame, and significant flickering of the flame will mean there’s a draught.
Cold-Spot Mould Hazards
Draughts aren’t just annoying; they can also result in damage to your health and your home. A draught can cause cold zones that attract damp air and condensation, which can lead to mould growth.
Mould spores trigger serious medical conditions such as lung infections, asthma, and allergies. They can also damage the structure of a building and the furniture, clothing, and personal belongings in it.
Home ventilation experts say bleach or other household products can only remove mould temporarily.
If mould is the result of draughts, tackling the problem effectively entails striking a balance between eliminating the draught while maintaining adequate ventilation. If you don’t do this, you can make the problem worse. So it’s probably best left to a professional.
Quick Fixes for Draughty Windows
If you’re a keen do-it-yourself enthusiast, there are several ways you may be able to address the problem of cold draughts getting through your windows. But, like quick fixes in general, these options are likely to provide only a temporary solution. Here are a few things you could try.
Recaulking
Recaulking involves removing old caulk around a window that doesn’t open and applying a new bead of the flexible material with a caulking gun. This can be effective but if the job isn’t done carefully, it can spoil the appearance of your window.
Draught Excluder
You can buy draught excluders for windows but they can only be used at the base of a window. So, if the cold air is coming in from another part of the window, a draught excluder won’t help.
Foam Tape
Applying foam insulation tape around draughty windows will fix the problem for a while, but it’s only a short-term solution, and won’t work well on a sliding sash window.
Plastic or Metal Strips
Plastic or metal strips with brushes attached are a longer-lasting alternative to foam tape but cost a little more.
Insulated Curtains
Thick, insulated curtains – also referred to as thermal curtains – help to keep cold air out and warm air in.
Permanent Solutions if You Have Draughty Windows
DIY quick fixes for draughty windows will ease the problem to some extent in the short term. But investing in upgrading your windows with secondary glazing or new double glazing may be worth considering as a long-term solution.
Secondary Glazing
Secondary glazing – an additional pane of glass fitted inside an existing window – is an effective way to reduce draughts. But it’s only around half as energy efficient as double glazing.
Double Glazing
Replacing old windows with double glazing will not only minimise draughts but provide better all-round performance.
Benefits of Upgrading Your Windows
Getting rid of draughts is not the only benefit of replacing single-glazing or older double-glazed windows with state-of-the-art modern double glazing.
You’ll also cut heating bills by boosting the energy efficiency of your home, which will also be quieter and more secure too. Furthermore, you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint and potentially adding value to the resale value of your home.
Research studies in 2023 revealed that double glazing in many homes in the UK was too old to function effectively.
Thanks to advances in window technology and materials, modern double glazing is 50 percent more energy efficient than double glazing installed 20 years ago, and this could save you almost £400 a year.
Final Thoughts
While controlled ventilation is essential to reduce the risk of condensation, damp patches, and mould, too much fresh air coursing through your home can make life unpleasant, particularly if you find yourself sitting or sleeping in a draught during colder spells.
Draughts can also result in cold spots that are themselves a magnet for mould, with its associated health risks and potential damage to property.
The best solution if you have draughty windows will depend on the severity of the problem. (subbed)A few options are available that can temporarily make a difference to the amount of cold air coming through your windows, especially if the draughts are limited to small areas.
If the problem is extensive, though, window replacement with cutting-edge, modern double glazing could be your best course of action. As well as stopping the draughts, it will also save money on your heating bills.
