Draft Proof Your Home

Wherever you feel cold air coming in around a window or door, you have a leak and warm air will escape through the same gap. Drafts are costly, can cause discomfort and energy is wasted. Sealing gaps and cracks with caulking and weather stripping is one of the most cost-effective steps you can take to keep the heat inside your home, reducing heat loss by 5-10%.

Affordability

The materials you need to seal the gaps are inexpensive. You can purchase many of them at local hardware stores and install them yourself. In fact, draft proofing generally has the fastest payback of any home heating improvement. Even apartment dwellers and renters can draft proof parts of their homes.

Cost savings

Losing warm air to the outside and having cold air gusting in costs money in wasted heating. Sealing your gaps can seal in savings.

Health & comfort

Damp air seeping in makes the indoor temperature feel colder than it is. Dry air can lead to problems with static and dry throats and skin. Sealing leaks will make your home more comfortable in all weather conditions.

Environmental considerations

In many homes, 20% of all heat loss is through leaks and poor ventilation. If 10,000 B.C. households with gas heating were draft proofed  to cut gas consumption an average of 5% , it could save a kilotonne (1,000 tonnes) of CO₂ emissions annually.

What you need to know

• It's good to start at the bottom of the house and work your way up.
• Remove any old, damaged caulk or weatherstripping before you begin.
• Caulk around baseboards, sump pump lids, openings in the attic and between an uninsulated attic or basement and the living areas of the house. Seal the top of foundations for added efficiency.
• Use a smoking incense stick to find leaks or run your hand over windowsills, doors and walls to feel for cold drafts.
• Doors get warped by use and weather, leaving gaps between the door and frame. If your exterior doors are drafty, caulk between the doorframe and the wall and add weatherstripping along the top and edge of the door. For added protection, you can also put weatherstripping along the vertical doorstop to press against the face of the door when closed.
• Install a door sweep on the bottom edge of your door, or attach weatherstripping along the bottom of the door or on the threshold. Weatherstripping attached to the door itself needs to be extra durable.
• Use weatherstripping and caulking to seal around windows.
• Joints shift over time and with changes in moisture and temperature, leaving gaps and cracks. Use caulking to seal the spaces between interior joints, around non-opening windows and spaces around water pipes and vents. Choose a caulking that is appropriate to the task. Refer to the Buyer’s Guide for information on selecting a product.
• You can purchase gaskets that fit behind the cover plates of electrical outlets and lighting fixtures to reduce leakage. Caulk the edges of these gaskets.
• Child safety plugs fitted into infrequently used electrical outlets can help reduce heat loss into exterior walls.
• Hang interior window coverings to help regulate temperature. See our Shade Your Windows tip to learn more.
• Cover single-paned or inefficient windows with plastic in the winter.
• It is possible to over seal your house, leaving it prone to mold or carbon monoxide issues. While it is unlikely to do so with weather stripping and a caulking gun, keep in mind that controlled air circulation is essential for a healthy and comfortable home. Have an electrician install a dehumidistat in your bathroom. These devices can be set to automatically turn on the fan when moisture levels get high. See our Upgrade Your Ventilation tip for more information.
• If you are ready to upgrade your heating further, look to Tune-up Your Existing Heating System and Adding and Upgrading Insulation.

FAQ

Draft proofing my ducts or around my windows seems like a big job for me to do. Are there contractors who you can hire to do this kind of work?
Yes. It is true that some parts of a home are easier to draft proof than others, and a contractor will generally be able to do a neat and thorough job. Talk to a few carpenters to get estimates or, if you have an energy audit, ask your auditor if they can recommend someone.

If I can only make one home improvement this year, is draft proofing the one that will save the most energy?
The best improvements for you to make depend on the state of your home, your location and your energy use. For a house older than 10 or 15 years, draft proofing can have significant effects, but it is not always the most effective thing you can do. An energy audit by a qualified auditor will assess the most effective steps for you to take.