Living Room Renovation

How to fill gaps and prevent draughts

Window

With the rising cost of energy, it has never been more important to prevent draughts in your home. Draughts let the cold air in and the warm air out, giving you a chilly house and an unpleasant electricity bill. They can account for up to 30% of heat lost in some houses!

The most likely culprits are gaps around your windows and doors, however draughts can also be caused by gaps around your fireplaces, air vents, skirting boards and stairways. If you feel cold near your windows, you can feel air moving, or you hear a rattle or whistle, chances are there’s a draught. The best way to locate the gap is to light a stick of incense or a candle and see which way the smoke travels.

Paying a professional to perform work on your home is expensive, and it isn’t difficult to draught-proof your home yourself. If the draught is caused by a gap in the edge of your door or window, you can simply seal the gap with silicone. Selleys has a range of affordable and easy-to-use products that you can use to fill gaps and prevent draughts.

Filling a gap using silicone

Selleys No More Gaps Fast Dry is ideal for use on architraves, skirting boards, cornices, windows and door frames, and will give you a smooth finish with minimal shrinkage. It is weather-resistant and perfect for filling any small gaps that may be causing draughts in your home.

Selleys No More Big Gaps is an expanding foam, suitable for interior or exterior use. It’s perfect for filling larger or irregular holes, whether they’re around pipes, under roofing, behind skirting boards or around door and window cavities.

Selleys No More Gaps Weatherboard can be used to seal gaps in a weatherboard home and provides a long-lasting finish with good resistance to weathering. Make sure you have a caulking gun to apply this, such as Selleys Light Speed Caulking Gun.

Sealing gaps is easy when you have the right products. Here’s how you do it:

Easy as

  1. Ensure the surface is clean and dry, and free from dust, grease, flaking paint or crumbling caulk. If it is particularly greasy or dirty, use Selleys Liquid Sugar Soap to clean it.
  2. Tape both sides of the gap before applying any product. This will help give you a neat finish plus it will be easier to clean after applying.
  3. Squeeze, spray or caulk the filler into the gap, being careful not to overfill the hole if you are using an expanding product.
  4. Dip your finger in water and smooth over the surface to finish, or you can use a paint scraper if you prefer.
  5. Let the filler dry for half an hour before painting. For larger gaps, or if you’re using oil-based paints, wait at least 24 hours before painting.
  6. You can wipe up any spills, either on the surface or your skin, with Selleys Hand Kleen Wipes.