Draught Proofing

Draught proofing or double glazing what should I choose?

admin — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:00:12 +0000

Majority of households in UK suffer from draught problems. It causes large amount of damages to the construction of the building. If you can feel cold air coming in around the windows in your home it means warm air is escaping. In a typical home 20 per cent of all heat loss is through ventilation and draughts.
More heat is lost in this way than can be saved by trying to double-glaze your existing windows (which in many cases will be impossible anyway). The gaps around an average sash window can be the equivalent of an aperture measuring ten or more square inches. Therefore it is important to reduce leakage as far as possible. Doing so will increase your comfort and reduce your heating bills. You might consider secondary glazing (an internal light metal sash window), which can be very effective. Never underestimate the usefulness of thick curtains in reducing draughts.
Priority should be given to insulate the upstairs ceilings, roof or both in order conserve heat in the house because hot air rises. As the molecules in the air gain kinetic energy due to heat, they spread away from each other and hence the air rises. Draught proofing of the windows is the best way to keep the house warm.
A £20 worth of DIY self-adhesive rubber draught stripping is enough for draught proofing needs of your house. These takes although not very strong are able to serve the purpose for a few weeks. And this is exactly what you need, just a cheap and effective way to keep your house nice and warm. And repeating the taping once in two or three months doesn’t take that effort.
It is always more preferable and economical to get the old timber windows overhauled and draught proofed rather than removing them. Plastic windows are maintenance free is a wrong notion. Many users of plastic windows complained of scratched surfaces and thus want to paint them. Also, there is constant need for replacement of handles, hinges and catches with these plastic doors.
Draught proofing depends on the duration for which you wish to hold on to the existing property and the size of your windows because in that way you decide how much are you going to spend on it.
Gas fires and ventilation In order to function safely, gas-heating appliances need a supply of air. Larger appliances could malfunction if your draught-proofing is too effective – check with the manufacturer -requiring the introduction of a new vent.
With the technological improvements and increasing energy prices the option of double glazing seems to be a better one but analyze neatly and you will find that it is still the costlier option. Actually, even today, double glazing will cost you twice as that of draught proofing and it has a payback period of 12 to 15 years which is quite high. So, prefer draught proofing always.

Reduce Heating Costs with These Money Saving Tips

admin — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:48:13 +0000

If you happen to live in a region which is extremely cold in winter heating costs must be taking a big share of your monthly salary. You may be paying twice as much to heat your house as you did just a few years ago due to the rapidly escalating costs of home heating oil, propane, and kerosene.

You can cut your heating costs significantly by following these money-saving tips :-

To start with doing an energy audit of your house is suggestible. Identifying areas where heated air is leaking out should be task no.2. Check around doors, windows, fireplaces, and other areas that may feel drafty. Use caulk, weather stripping, door sweeps, plastic, and other appropriate means to close off these leaks. If your house is poorly insulated, adding additional insulation will pay for itself in reduced heating costs.

Use of ventilation fans such as bathroom fans and kitchen hood fans in winter should be minimized. Over the course of the winter, ventilation fans can increase your heating costs by a surprising amount.

Areas of your house which you do not use should not be heated such as guests rooms. Close heating vents or turn back thermostats in those areas and close the doors for a painless reduction in heating costs. Turn down the heat and use space heaters to heat the room you spend time in.

Keep all your heating equipments in top operating condition. Dirty filters reduce the efficiency of your furnace or heat pump. Poorly tuned units are inefficient and use more fuel.

Don’t turn your thermostat up above the desired temperature. It won’t heat up any more quickly and will make your furnace work harder. Also, while it makes sense to turn the heat back when you’re sleeping or not at home, turning it down too low can actually cost you more because the contents of the house have to be re-heated in addition to the air. 68 to 70 degrees while you’re home and awake, and 60 to 65% while you’re asleep or not at home are reasonable temperatures.

Consider a programmable thermostat to raise and lower the temperature at pre-set times. Check the temperature setting on your hot water heater. If you have a dishwasher, your water should be heated to 120%. Otherwise, it can be somewhat lower.

If your water heater is in an unheated space like an unfinished basement, wrap it in an insulation blanket available at hardware stores to prevent heat loss. Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible.

It’s tempting to stand under a hot shower on a cold morning for as long as possible, but cutting your shower time in half can save up to 33% on your hot water heating costs.

Now following these tips would certainly save a lot of money and do good to you.

Get More Details On Windows Restoration

Draught Proofing Kit Suppliers

admin — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:44:32 +0000

Draught proofing has become the latest trend in the home décor section today. And it is something which has gained importance as well. Growth of mould in the house is a very serious problem can be prevented by draught proofing. Draught Proofing helps in proper ventilation of the room thus preventing the rise in humidity levels or occurrence of condensation. Although the gaps around an average wooden sash-window without draught-stripping do provide for background ventilation, it is better to have more control over the howling gale that gives a feeling of depths of winter.

Draught Proofing can be done in a variety of ways. And the simplest of the ways is by the usage of Draught proofing kits. These kits are specially designed for draught proofing of sash windows and can be easily fitted by anyone. And in case anyone is afraid to handle and fir these kits, a specialist is always available to help them out for a fee.

In Great Britain, a number of Draught Kit Suppliers are available are available. Here we will have a look at four of these namely Alpha Sash Window Company, Heritage Sash Window Company, Ace Sash Windows and DIY Sash Window Ltd.

The draught proofing kits provided by Alpha Sash Window Company are the ones which have been tried and tested for long. A long list of satisfied customers provides a lot of strength to their reputation as one of the best in the UK. The variety they possess is unmatched and proofing kits are available for all different dimensions of sash windows. Situated in 16, Shakespeare Gardens, Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 6HH, Alpha Sash Window Company is the one to visit when the thought of draught proofing comes to mind.

Next we move to Heritage Sash Window Company. As the name suggests, it is a real heritage when it comes to buying of draught proofing materials. The Sash window draught proofing DIY kits provided by Heritage Sash Window Company are made of the very same material which is used by the company in their reconditioning service. Also, the company aims at providing maximum comfort to its customers by providing them with mail order service, Also flexibility in payment mode is offered with options of cash, cheque and credit card. Located in 1 Belfield Gardens, Long Eaton, Nottingham NG10 1HB, it is a must-visit.

The third supplier is Ace Sash Windows. It is a small renovation company which has experience in this field of 10 years. Professionalism is a part of Ace Windows and has been known for fast, efficient and reliable service. The DIY Kits provided by Ace Windows are made of traditional wooden beadings.

Last, lets look at DIY Sash Windows Limited. These sash window kits are basically meant for restoring, rebuilding, repairing and draught proofing of sash windows. And all this is done without any harm done to the windows. Along with all this come an instruction manual and some special tools to help you give your work a truly professional touch.

10 reasons to have your windows draught proofed

admin — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:43:22 +0000

Place your hand near your closed window. So you feel cold? Do you feel as if magically the air outside is brushing against your palm? Don’t be surprised. There is nothing magical about it. Actually there is a problem with it. Air is leaking through the gaps in the window frame and the window sill. And this is not a good thing at all. It immediately calls for draught proofing. But why draught proofing? Why is so essential that an entire is thriving on it? That is exactly what we are going to study in the following paragraphs.
Firstly, gaps in your windows lead to incoming of cold air in your house. And this cold air leads to decrease in the temperature in the house. And this is a really terrible situation to be in especially during winters. So in order to protect you from shivering in the night, draught proofing is important.
Secondly, in order to counter this cold air coming inside your house, you will need to make excessive use of your heating system. And with the energy crisis that the world is facing, this would probably not be the best way to counter your problem.
Thirdly, with increasing use of heater, there will increasing length of your bills. And with increasing length of bills, there will be an ever expanding hole in your pockets. To avoid this, go for draught proofing.
Fourthly, a recent statistic has shown that if everyone in the UK was to go ahead with draught proofing of their homes, it would generate an annual saving of £160m. So this is your chance to contribute the little towards the society.
Fifthly, draught proofing also helps in improving the ventilation of the rooms. And we all know that ventilation is so very essential to maintain the high level of oxygen in the house.
Sixthly, along with cold air, those small gaps act as an open invitation to thieves and looters. Those small slits are just perfect for the ones with evil intentions to break into the house and wash it away.
Seventhly, in addition to the thieves, slits are conducive for other living creatures enter the house. And these creatures are mainly residents of your garden. And once they enter the house, havoc is not far away.
Eighthly, it is through these draughts that even water seeps in. This water coming in increases moisture in the house and can have bad effect on the wall paints and wooden furniture.
Ninthly, there is no need for anyone to be an expert in this field or to call a specialist. Anyone with a little amount of technical know-how can do this procedure. Draught Proofing can be easily classified in the DIY category.
Lastly, draught proofing of windows is also supported by many energy saving trusts thus providing adequate grants and reliefs to people going ahead with the procedure. So it is important that one takes full benefit of these and save his house from draughts.

DROUGHT PROOFING

admin — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:43:19 +0000

If you can feel cold air coming in around the windows in your home it means warm air is escaping. Air is leaking through the gaps in the window frame and the window sill. Sitting in a draught doesn’t just give you a pain in the neck, but a pain in your head as well. In a typical home 20 per cent of all heat loss is through ventilation and draughts. It is through these draughts that even water seeps in. This water coming in increases moisture in the house and can have bad effect on the wall paints and wooden furniture. This is a bad situation because it leads the house towards colder temperature. So the pressure on the heater increases and it consumes more fuel which affects your pocket. And with the energy crisis that the world is facing, this would probably not be the best way to counter your problem.
Solution to this Draught Proofing! A recent statistic has shown that if everyone in the UK was to go ahead with draught proofing of their homes, it would generate an annual saving of £160m. So this is your chance to contribute.
How draught proofing works:-
It simply fills gaps and decreases the amount of cold air entering your home. There are several types of materials available from brushes, foams and sealants to strips and shaped rubber or plastic. Draught proofing of windows is also supported by many energy saving trusts thus providing adequate grants and relief to people going ahead with the procedure. So it is important that one takes full benefit of these and save your house from draughts. The Draught Proofing Association can help you decide which material is best for your home. Draught proofing is an easy, cost effective way to reduce heating bills. Most materials are available from DIY stores.
How it is installed
Draught proofing is an easy DIY task. Many of the sealant strips are self-adhesive and fitting brushes to doors or letterboxes is also simple. There are a number of things you should also think about:
• Adequate ventilation is as important as draught proofing – and essential if you have solid fuel fires, gas fires or a boiler with an open flue.
• Ventilation is especially important in kitchens and bathrooms and you should consider fitting an extractor fan in these areas if condensation is a problem. You could also open a window when cooking, running hot water or drying clothes.
• Background ventilation can be provided by trickle vents in the window frame which will reduce the need to open windows.
• Have your chimneys swept regularly and check air bricks for blockages.
There could even be grants and offers available to help you pay for draught proofing.