Draught proofing (2026): the £30 job that pays back first
Cold moving air makes a heated room feel cold. Sealing it out costs £20–£40 for every door in the house, takes an afternoon, and pays back in the first winter. Here’s the right seal for each gap.
TL;DR
Two seals per door: the Exitex screw-fix brush strip along the bottom, YIMIKI EPDM rubber round the edges — under £25 a door, lasts years. Renting? The Stormguard self-adhesive brush pile does both jobs without a drill. Foam tape is for internal doors only. And never seal trickle vents or air bricks — that’s how you trade draughts for mould.
The highest-payback job in the house
The gap under a typical front door leaks like a hole in the wall, and draught-proofing is the rare energy measure that pays back in months: the Energy Saving Trust puts whole-home draught-proofing at roughly £45–£65 a year off bills, and the parts to do every door in the house cost £20–£40. More importantly it changes how warm the house feels — moving air reads as cold even when the thermostat says otherwise.
The method: a door leaks in two different places needing two different seals. The bottom (big, uneven gap, lots of wear) wants a brush strip. The sides and top want a rubber compression strip on the frame. Do both or you’ve left the leak. One caution before you seal everything in sight: never block trickle vents, air bricks or extractor fans — those are deliberate ventilation, and a sealed-tight house becomes a condensation problem.
Exitex Screw-Fix Brush Strip (838mm)
- Aluminium carrier
- Bridges gaps up to 25mm
- Cuts to width
- Screws supplied
The most reliable single fix in draught-proofing: bristles seal the big uneven gap under the door while gliding over mats, and screws hold for years where adhesive at floor level peels in months.
Fits standard UK doors; a hacksaw trims it to width. Ten minutes with a drill per door.
£11.99YIMIKI EPDM Rubber Seal (E/P/D profiles)
- EPDM rubber — springs back
- Gaps 1–5mm
- 5–6m roll
- Peel-and-stick
For the sides and top of the door: EPDM rubber compresses every time the door closes and springs back, where cheap foam crushes flat in a season. Match the profile to your gap — E for small, P/D for larger.
Clean the frame with white spirit first; that one step is the difference between a seal that lasts years and one that’s on the floor by November.
£23.76Stormguard Self-Adhesive Brush Pile (5m)
- Brush seal, no screws
- 5–7mm pile
- Cuts to size
- Removable
The brush-strip benefit without the drill: peel-and-stick pile that bridges uneven gaps better than foam. The right answer for rentals, uPVC doors you shouldn’t drill, and quick wins.
Less durable at the door base than the screw-fix Exitex — use it on edges and accept occasional replacement at the bottom.
£4.94SOL Foam Draught Excluder Tape
- Cheapest option
- Several doors per roll
- 1–3mm gaps
- Peel-and-stick
Foam is the honest budget option: seals small edge gaps immediately for a couple of pounds, but crushes flat within a season on a busy door.
Use it on internal doors, loft hatches and the spare room; put the rubber strip on doors you use daily.
£4.89Beyond the door
Letterbox: a £7 internal brush flap stops the hallway gale — often the single most noticeable fix in the house. Chimney: an unused open fireplace pulls warm air out of the room continuously; a removable chimney draught excluder (wool or inflatable) stops it — just remove it before ever lighting a fire. Single-glazed windows: seasonal insulation film creates a still-air layer that mimics cheap secondary glazing. Floorboards and skirting: flexible filler, not strips. We’ll cover each of these in dedicated guides as the season goes on.
Find your draughts on a windy day with a lit incense stick run around frames and edges — where the smoke kicks sideways, that’s your job list, in order of how hard it kicks.
Frequently asked questions
How much does draught-proofing save in the UK?
The Energy Saving Trust estimates around £45–£65 a year for professional whole-home draught-proofing — and the DIY parts cost £20–£40, so payback is well under a year. The comfort change is bigger than the number suggests.
What is the best draught excluder for the bottom of a door?
A screw-fixed brush strip. The bristles bridge the big uneven gap and glide over mats, and screws hold where stick-on strips at floor level peel. Self-adhesive brush pile is the no-drill alternative for renters.
Should I use foam or rubber draught strips?
Rubber (EPDM) for any door in daily use — it springs back after every closure and lasts years. Foam is fine for internal doors and rarely-used gaps but crushes flat within a season on a busy door.
Can draught-proofing cause damp?
Only if you seal deliberate ventilation. Never block trickle vents, air bricks or extractor fans — they exist to remove moisture. Seal the accidental gaps, keep the designed airflow, and pair with a dehumidifier if condensation appears.