This $0 Winter Trick Stops Cold Air From Entering Your Home!, by Secret Vault on YouTube. 2 min 5 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 5 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Pick a cold, windy day and run the back of your hand slowly around each door and window frame. Note every spot where you feel moving air.
Hold a thin strip of tissue or a lit incense stick near the frame. Where the tissue flutters or the smoke wavers, you have found a leak.
Check the usual suspects: the gap under doors, window frames, letterboxes, keyholes and where pipes or cables come through the wall.
Roll an old towel into a long sausage and press it against the bottom of the draughtiest door. This is a free, temporary door draft stopper.
For narrow gaps around a window or door frame, clean and dry the surface, then press on self-adhesive foam or V-strip weatherstripping.
Seal gaps wider than about 6 mm with a brush strip or a screw-on draft excluder rather than tape alone, so the door still closes.
Open curtains on sunny sides during the day to let warmth in, then close them at dusk to slow heat loss through the glass.
Leave vents, air bricks and flues for fuel-burning appliances clear, and check your carbon monoxide alarm still works.
Tips and common mistakes
Test the same spot again after sealing so you know the fix actually worked.
Never block ventilation openings that a gas fire, boiler or stove needs to burn safely.
Use weatherstripping only on parts that open, and silicone sealant for gaps that never move.
Feel for drafts at floor level too, since cold air often creeps in under skirting boards.
Questions
What is the cheapest way to stop cold air under a door?
Roll up an old towel or a piece of thick fabric and push it against the bottom of the door. It costs nothing and comes out in seconds when you need to move around.
Can I seal every gap around my windows?
Seal the gaps that let cold air in, but leave any purpose-built vents or trickle vents open. Rooms with fuel-burning appliances need a steady air supply.
How do I find a draft I cannot feel?
Use a tissue strip or incense smoke and move it slowly along the frame. The flutter or waver shows the exact leak point better than your hand can.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
