Cut heating bills: Top tips to draft-proof your doors
The cold days have made us turn the heating back on in our homes. It's a challenging time for many families trying to control their heating expenses throughout the winter. Proper insulation is worth considering to prevent heat from escaping through the front door. Often, doors are the main source of cold air in the house.
Sealing windows with tape and using a door sealant are some of the simplest methods to minimize the influx of cold air inside. If your doors are quite old, there’s a risk they are not sufficiently sealed. Fortunately, there are home methods to improve them that don't require significant financial outlay. These methods can help you save on heating bills.
Door insulation - how to do it simply?
Where to start? It’s best to visit the hardware store, where you can find suitable insulation materials and seals. These materials can help close any small gaps through which heat might escape. You should also consider purchasing thermal insulation boards for the doors.
After identifying the source of leakage, expanding foam can be helpful when applied to the door frame and all the gaps. Be careful not to use too much because the foam expands as it hardens. The next step is replacing the seals, which can lose their effectiveness over time, leading to heat loss. Measuring their length precisely to cover the entire door frame perfectly is crucial. As a result, unpleasant drafts should disappear.
What is worth investing in?
After addressing the seals and foam, it’s also worth focusing on the threshold. Installing a baseboard strip is a practical solution that effectively reduces air circulation and limits drafts. Various models in stores can easily match your home’s interior design.
Ultimately, if all other methods fail, consider replacing the doors. Although this might seem like an expensive investment at first, in the long run, it can offer savings. Modern doors have better insulating properties. According to technical requirements, since 2012, the U-value for thermal transmittance for doors should be above 0.46 BTU/(h·ft²·°F). This value should be even better for energy-efficient homes, not exceeding 0.23. Such a decision can significantly lower future heating bills.
