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A draught excluder is possibly the cheapest way of eliminating a draughty, ill-fitting door[/caption]
I tend to spend most of my weekends out and about with my husband and two year old daughter. We like to have days out visiting local attractions and we often find ourselves at a play-gym or an animal park. We tend to eat out whilst we are there so we go to a lot of cafes and restaurants. I am amazed at how often we end up sitting next to or near a draughty door and this is a major irritation for me. Having sat through too many draughty lunches, I have learnt to avoid sitting near the doorway, which means we often have to hover and wait for people to finish their meals before we can sit down. I find it really irritating when people leave a doorway open and as I get older I am increasingly telling people where previously I would have put up with it and sat in silence. Sometimes a cafe will have two doors to reduce the draught for customers, however this seems to have a limited effect as the doors are usually so close that people open them both as they make their way inside allowing the cold air to enter as they hang about in the entrance oblivious to the fact they are affecting the dining experience for those inside.
If you want to avoid a draughty door situation at home then there are some things you can consider. Doors vary in terms of insulation properties, look for Part L Compliant doors and check the U Values of these doors to find the most heat efficient values. The lower the U-Value, the better it will be for insulation. You may wish to buy a draught excluder and you can check out a previous Blog post to see some examples of what is available. Adding a porch or entrance hall may also help to avoid letting the cold air in to your home. Above all, doors need to be fitted well by a trained fitter. Timber Doors should fit snugly into the doorframe with a little allowance for seasonal temperature variations.
Also important is the finishing of the door as this will prevent moisture penetration and avoid swollen doors and frames. See the Door Finishing section on our website for information and suggested products.
