How to prevent wind drafts in an old house?

laineybug

I’m visiting my papa and I noticed his house is very cold and has a lot of wind draft inside. The house isn’t insulated and theres holes everywhere. I’d like to start in his room first. Which is what photos I will list first, then I will list photos of other projects I’d like to get done as well if anyone could help with that!! On the next what could I get first interns of utensils, and things like that? I only have two weeks here so I’d like to get as much as I can done. I don’t have much of a budget but If anyone could help with cost efficient tips and tricks as well. I would be more than grateful!

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @laineybug. It's lovely to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about preventing drafts.

You might like to take a look at these articles: 

• How to seal gaps in doors and windows

• How to winter-proof your home

• How to weather-proof your home for winter.

The best advice for the holes, cracks and gaps would likely be on a case-by-case basis. So, if there is anything you'd like advice on, please show us some images of it. I'd recommend getting yourself a tube of Selleys 480g White 3-in-1 Silicone Sealant and a caulking gun and going around and filling any cracks or gaps that are obvious. You can then look for areas where air is entering that you could also fix. For instance, that large hole could be filled with expanding foam and then filled over to neaten it up.

If he's trying to heat the room with a small heater, grab him a door snake for the bedroom to help keep the warmth in. 

If this is his home, you might like to pick up a 4L tin of paint and do a quick paint of those walls. It's really inexpensive and will make the room feel so much nicer. Don't even worry about fixing the damaged paint on the wall; just paint over the lot. This isn't going to help with the heat, but it's a nice thing you could do over a day.

This is outside of D.I.Y. but don't forget to rug him up well. No matter what you do, the house/room might still be cold without consistent heating; and let's face it, that's expensive. I see he has a couple of good puffy coats, but make sure he has a couple of pairs of warm tracksuit pants that he can double up, a few long fluffy pairs of socks, and a decent pair of gloves. Not those thin gloves, thick gloves. Get him a woollen beany too. It can get a bit more expensive, but thermal underwear or shirts can be a lifesaver in cold conditions. With warm clothing taken care of, we can easily be quite comfortable in very cold conditions. Much colder than he would be experiencing at the moment. I only offer this advice because, as a younger man, I couldn't afford to heat even a single room, and clothing kept me warm.

I'm sure our members will be keen to help you out with this project so please let us know if you have any questions.

Mitchell