From DIYinfo.org
There's no need to put up with icy draughts in winter no matter how badly fitting or warped your doors and windows might be. With such an enormous variety of draught excluders available, there is sure to be one to suit your particular situation. For a very small outlay you can improve the comfort in your home dramatically and help reduce your fuel bills
[edit] Flexible Draught Excluders
Most of these are based on the principle of compressing a rubber strip to seal the gap between a hinged window or door and its frame. They usually have a self-adhesive backing covered by a paper strip and are sold in rolls, 5 to 10m long, in white or brown. They will stick to wood, metal or plastic window frames provided the surface is clean and dry. They must be placed on the correct part of the frame so they are properly compressed when the door or window is closed. On the hinge side, they go inside the rebate so the edge of the door or window closes against them. On the other three sides stick them to the frame so the inside face of the door or window does the compressing. Different draught excluders are suitable for different gaps, so measure up before you buy.
1. Heavy duty sealing strip keeps out water and dirt as well as draughts. Used for sealing doors and windows in greenhouses, sheds, cars, boats and caravans, as well as acting as a replacement gasket on a fridge or freezer. Suitable for gaps up to 5mm.
2. Foam strip with shiny wipe clean surface. In white only and suitable for gaps from 1.5 to 5mm.
3. Closed-cell rubber weather strip with a 'T' shaped profile. In white and brown and for gaps from 3 to 5mm.
4. Closed-cell rubber weather strip with 'E' profile for narrow gaps of 1 to 2mm. In white or brown.
5. Nylon pile draught excluder for gaps of 2 to 5mm. Can also be used on sliding sash windows if it is fixed to the top edge of the top sash, the bottom edge of the bottom sash, and inside the meeting rail.
6. Thin plastic draught excluder for gaps from 1 to 4mm. The clear plastic strip is folded over and springs back to fill any gap.
7. Rubber deflection seal is positioned so that the tubular part extends over the edge of the frame and is deflected when the door or window is closed. It is visible but unobtrusive. Made in white, for gaps from 1.5 to 5mm.
8. Reusable tubular weather strip for seasonal draught proofing of doors and windows, it is simply pushed into gaps and pulled away in the summer.
[edit] Brush and Threshold Strips
Flexible draught excluders are not suitable for all applications, and another method is needed for sealing sliding windows and the bottom of doors. Nylon brush strips are the most common answer as the door or window can slide against the bristles without catching, while the brush presses closely against the frame.
9. Letter box draught excluders are made in several sizes and are suitable for vertical or horizontal apertures.
10. Brush strip for doors and sash windows. For doors it is nailed to the frame so the brush presses lightly against the face of the door. For windows it is nailed to the side frames (outside at the top, inside at the bottom) so the brushes press against the sash. (Top, bottom and meeting rails should be sealed with nylon pile, picture 5.)
11. Door bottom seal made of plastic can be used over all floor coverings.
12. Brush strip door bottom seal is suitable for sealing irregular gaps such as those over a worn threshold.
13. External door threshold seal keeps out draughts, rain, snow and dust. The bottom vinyl strips seal against the threshold while the top vinyl arch seals against the door.
[edit] Window Seals
For complete draught proofing of unused windows the simplest way is to cover the entire window and frame with plastic.
Thermal seal window insulation is a thin plastic film which can be used as an alternative to double glazing. Double sided tape holds the film to the frame and any wrinkles are removed by heating with a hairdryer.
