Your home feeling cold and drafty in winter means your heating is working harder than it should. Drafty house problems are common in older homes and cost you money and comfort. Here’s how you can tackle them in practical, reader-friendly terms.
Cold air sneaks in through gaps around windows and doors. It also gets in through outlets, vents, and any cracks in walls or floor edges. You can spot drafts with a candle or lighter flame — if it flickers near a window or door frame, you have a leak.
Sealing those paths for cold air is the first step. Replacing old weatherstripping and reapplying caulk around window frames and door trim stops a lot of air movement. Foam and rubber strips fit into gaps; spray foam fills irregular spaces.
Windows are a major source of drafts. If your windows are older or single-pane, consider applying window insulation film — a clear plastic sheet you shrink into place with a hairdryer. This adds an air barrier that cuts heat loss and drafts.
For a quick fix, door and window draft stoppers work well. These are tubes you place at the bottom of doors or along window sills to block cold air. You can buy them or DIY with fabric and filler.
Thick curtains or thermal blinds add another layer against cold air. They don’t replace sealing, but they reduce heat loss through glass.
Electrical outlets and switch plates on exterior walls often leak air. Simple foam gaskets behind the covers can reduce that without much effort.
If drafts persist after these fixes, your insulation might be the real issue. Drafts near floors or cold interior walls often point to poor wall or attic insulation. That’s a bigger job but reduces drafts and lowers heating use across the house.
You may have heard that closing vents or cranking up the thermostat fixes drafty rooms. That just hides the problem and hikes your bills. Deal with the leaks themselves first.
This isn’t a perfect list of every fix, but it gives you practical steps to cut drafts and keep winter heat where you want it — inside your home.
