Now that the central heating is on, we want to keep the warmth inside. There are many ways to insulate your home. One of the simplest and cheapest is to apply draft excluders in places where warmth escapes and cold sneaks in. What are the different types of draft excluders, and where can you install them in the home?
Draft Excluders With and Without Air Chamber
The main distinction between the different types of draft excluders is whether they have a hollow interior or an air chamber. Draft excluders with an air chamber are shaped like a D, P, or an O. Since such draft excluders can be compressed well, they are effective for large gaps under the door or around a window. The larger the air chamber, the greater the rebounding force when you close the window or door. A draft excluder with an O-profile is the most compressible and has very low resistance when closing your window or door. This type is a good solution for large and irregular gaps.
Draft profiles without an air chamber have an E- or I-shape. The regular contact points of the E-shape ensure an airtight and watertight seal of smaller gaps, for example, in wooden window frames. I-profile draft excluders are available in narrow to extra-wide sizes for various applications. The wider versions are usually not self-adhesive and must be attached with glue, nails, or staples.
Threshold Strips for Doors
Threshold strips or threshold profiles are used to seal the gap between the bottom of the door and the threshold. Threshold strips can be mounted on the side of the door and under the door, which has the advantage of being out of sight. Threshold strips have a brush or acrylic sealing. They are attached with screws, and you cut them to size with a hacksaw or angle grinder. If the brush hairs are too long for your purpose, you can easily shorten them with scissors.
A special kind of threshold for doors is the wear threshold. Wear thresholds are not mounted on the door but on the threshold. Besides preventing drafts, this type of draft excluder also prevents wear on the wooden bottom threshold along with increased protection from drafts.
Self-Adhesive Weatherstrip
Weatherstrip is a simple alternative to the previously mentioned draft excluders. Self-adhesive weatherstrip is made of silicone or EPDM, a synthetic rubber. Both materials are resistant to weather influences and last a long time. Silicone weatherstrip is slightly more stretchable and suitable for larger gaps. You can easily cut the weatherstrip to size with scissors or a utility knife.
