London & South-East England
Draught Proofing
The cheapest insulation measure with the fastest payback, fitted by our own team in a day.
Is draught proofing right for your home?
- Victorian and Edwardian houses with original sash windows and open fireplaces
- Homes that feel cold and draughty even with the heating on
- Suspended timber floors with gaps between the boards and under the skirtings
- Owners who want the fastest payback before larger insulation work
- Landlords improving comfort for tenants at low cost
Draught Proofing: key facts
- Draught proofing costs £20 to £60 per door or window and £250 to £700 for a whole house, at 0% VAT.
- It is the cheapest heat saving measure with the fastest payback, and it makes a home feel warmer at the same thermostat setting.
- The main leaks are sash windows, external doors, letterboxes, loft hatches, floorboard and skirting gaps, open chimneys and holes where pipes and cables pass through walls.
- An open chimney can be sealed with a removable balloon or a cap for £60 to £250.
- We never seal a home shut: trickle vents, extract fans and air bricks stay clear so moisture can leave.
- Fitted by our own team, usually in one visit, with a written guarantee.
What is draught proofing?
Draught proofing closes the gaps that let cold air in and warm air out. Brush or compression seals go into the rebates of doors and sash windows, a brush plate goes over the letterbox, a foam or rubber seal goes around the loft hatch, and floorboard and skirting gaps are filled with a flexible filler or a fitted strip. Open chimneys, which can pull a room full of warm air up the flue every hour, are closed with a removable inflatable balloon or a cap fitted at the top.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces across London, Kent and Surrey were built with timber sash windows, suspended timber floors and an open fireplace in every room, and all three leak air. The result is a house that never feels warm no matter how high the heating runs, because the warm air is replaced several times an hour. Uncontrolled air leakage is one of the largest heat losses in an older home, and it is also the cheapest to fix.
We walk the house room by room, find each leak by hand and with a thermal camera in the heating season, and quote for the whole set. Our own team fits the seals in a single visit for most houses. We also check the ventilation: trickle vents, bathroom and kitchen extract fans and air bricks under the floor stay open, because a sealed house without ventilation gets condensation and mould.
Who does the work
Draught proofing is fitted by our own trained team, usually in a single visit. It is often the first job on a whole house plan and we fit it alongside loft and floor insulation so the seals and the insulation work together.
Draught Proofing cost guide
Indicative 2026 market ranges for London and the South-East. Your fixed quote follows a free survey and depends on the number of openings and the type of windows.
| Job type | Indicative cost |
|---|---|
| Door or window | £20 – £60 |
| Whole house draught proofing | £250 – £700 |
| Chimney balloon or cap | £60 – £250 |
| Floorboard and skirting gaps | Itemised |
| Thermal imaging leak check | Included |
VAT: 0%. Draught stripping for windows and doors is named as an energy-saving material in HMRC VAT Notice 708/6, so it is charged at 0% VAT until 31 March 2027.
What we seal
How draught proofing works
Free survey
We go room by room, check every window, door, hatch, chimney and floor, and use a thermal camera in the heating season to find the leaks you cannot feel.
Fixed quote
A written, itemised quote listing each opening and the seal to be fitted, with the ventilation we will leave in place or add.
Installation
Our own team fits the seals, fills the floor gaps and closes the chimneys, usually in a single day for a typical house.
Check and guarantee
We test that each door and window closes properly on the new seal, confirm the vents are clear and leave a written guarantee.
Free survey & fixed quote
Book a free, no-obligation survey and we will send a clear, fixed written quote. One point of contact from survey to sign-off, and a written guarantee on the work.
Get a free quoteDraught Proofing FAQs
How much does draught proofing cost?
Is draught proofing worth it?
Can you draught proof sash windows without replacing them?
Will sealing the house cause condensation?
What about an open chimney?
Should I draught proof before insulating?
Areas we cover
We arrange draught proofing across Greater London, Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire. See all areas we cover →
Related guides
In-depth, independent guidance to help you decide.
Last reviewed September 2026 by Stay Warm Insulation.
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