It's easy to forget during the warmer months that your house can get cold, like really cold. I've suddenly found myself walking around my home wondering if there's a draft somewhere letting in the cold from outside, because it certainly feels like it.
It's hard to know if your insulation is up to scratch and while obvious signs like condensation on your windows or unwanted rot appearing around your window frame will tell you there's an issue, there's a way to figure it out before it gets that far, and it's called the 'dollar bill trick'.
How it works
I'm always on the search for handy home hacks and when I watched this YouTube video from Weather Tight Corporation recently, hosts Tod & Todd taught me a clever trick, and all you need is a dollar bill.
They advise: "Take a dollar bill and place it underneath your door. If you can get that dollar bill to move, you know that air is getting through. You should be able to close your door and that bill should be stuck."
If it's stuck, that means there isn't a gap, and so, it won't be the culprit if there's a draft getting in.
And as it's such a simple trick, you can use it across your home whenever you suspect a draft. It's also worth repeating the process at different points of your door frame to see exactly where the air is getting through, as it might be around the edges, top or bottom.
What to do if your door fails
So, you've identified a draft with a slippery dollar bill and you might be thinking, now what? Fortunately, you can cut heating costs with this $10 weekend fix. Plus, there's plenty more ways to keep the cold out, too.
If the draft is at the bottom of your door, you can perform a quick fix by investing in a draught excluder that lays along the bottom of the door.
It's specifically designed to block the gap and you can even make them yourself by creating a fabric tube and filling it with foam.
For a longer-term fix, you can attach a seal to the bottom of the door called a sweep or seal strip. These can be easily fitted with adhesive strips and trimmed down to fit the size of your door.
If the problem is around the top or sides of your door frame, you can use weatherstripping tape, also known as weatherseals, which is an adhesive tapes that comes in a few different forms.
You can use v strips (tension seals), made of plastic or metal, that fold into a 'V' shape and expand to bridge gaps.
There's also foam tape made of foam (unsurprisingly) or rubber with an adhesive backing. This is a great option for both windows and doors. Or some simple felt, which can be either the usual kind or built with a metal strip inside. Finally, there's rubber or vinyl tubing which offers a flexibility to the seal.
For the trim of your doors or windows where you've identified gaps or cracks, you can also use spray foam or caulk to seal the problem area and reduce the drafts.
Whatever you decide to do, keeping out the drafts will ultimately save you money on your energy bills. So, it's worth doing a sweep around your home with your dollar bill at hand.
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