Are you paying extra because your house is poorly insulated? If you’re in an older home and haven’t given the environmental benefits of draught proofing your sash windows much thought then, yes, you probably are. But even a brand new house could end up causing a lot of trouble in that area. So you think your insulation is fine? Even minor amounts of air flow through the cracks of your windows and significantly change the temperature in your house. You probably don’t even know your house is draughty.

Most people think of heat escaping in the winter; this is, of course, a large problem. But the problem continues in the summer. A well-insulated home will keep warm air out and, if you have air conditioning, cold air in. The laws of entropy explain this; if there is no impervious barrier between warm air and cold, it is in their nature to spread and mix; the different air temperatures would not just stay neatly on their own sides for good behavior’s sake.

Most people are familiar with the results of draughts: you will inefficiently attempt to change the temperature of your house and it will not work well. This will lead you to paying more than you need to. You will also be increasing the carbon in the air, no matter what your method of heating or cooling is. If more people paid attention to their frivolous energy expenditures, global warming would not be to such an extreme.

Where to begin? The first step, and one of the smartest, is to find a source of renewable heat that works for you. Solar heating is particularly good. However it won’t make you any warmer if you have a leaky house. You could give up your air conditioning, since the CFCs and HCFCs produced are prime contributors to global warming. But you certainly won’t be any cooler in the summer by giving this up. So look for flaws in your home.

The problem can be nipped in the bud at the beginning stages of a house. If you plan on building, give double the time to currently plan to spend on looking at the insulation. Not everyone has the luxury of starting from scratch, though. So take care of what you have. Don’t let your sash windows fall into any state of disrepair. If you notice wood damage or chipping flakes, call someone to repair it immediately before problems escalate.

Don’t be fooled by the idea of double-glazing; it doesn’t work. If anything, use secondary glazing on the sash, get all repairs professionally done, check on the window putty, and use curtains. The heavier the curtain, the more it will hinder air flow in and out.

If you are plagued by draughts and nothing seems to work, you could do a lot worse than putting towels against the leak; it is surprise how effectively these work. It is an old method and is often times unsightly, but weigh the benefits. Some companies also make special weighted cloths that are more stylish than a bunched up towel. These cloths attach to doors or windows and provide a nice buffer for any leaks.

Seeking affordable sash window draught proofing? If the time comes that you need window insulation in London and Brighton, make sure you hire the best company for the job. Find our more now!

categories: insulation,enviroment,heating,diy,sash windows,wooden windows,property