Easy ways to keep a house warm over winter

While modern houses are usually weather-tight, older houses with wooden windows and doors often have uncontrolled ventilation through gaps and cracks, making them hard to heat.

An easy fix is to use foam rubber strips that can be stuck to the inside of the door stop (the edge of the door jamb that faces outwards), and plastic v-seals that you can add to most window sashes. You’ll soon notice that your home stays warmer longer, and costs less to heat. Foam strips and v-seals are readily available from hardware stores.

In old villas double-hung sash windows are more difficult to draught proof, but a tubular rubber strip can be used for the part where the two windows meet. These can be harder to find – but alternatively a ‘window snake’ that rests on top of the sash can work well, especially if it’s a window that you don’t open often.

Door and window snakes are very easy to make. Just stuff screwed-up newspaper into a couple of old socks or the legs off an old pair of jeans and decorate. Or if you’re handy with a needle, try this easy DIY door snake:

DIY door snake

Step 1 Cut a 20cm by 80cm fabric rectangle.

Step 2 Sew the long edges together, with the wrong side of the fabric outwards, to form a tube.

Step 3 Sew one of the ends together – backstitch firmly.

Step 4 Turn the tube right side out and use a ruler to help push out the corners.

Step 5 Stuff with clean rags, old socks, newspaper, cushion stuffing or even clean kitty litter.

Step 6 Stitch the top closed firmly and voilà! Kids might want to add some beads for eyes or a red ribbon for tongue.

Extra for experts

For internal doors that open over smooth surfaces such as lino or tiles, you can make a double door snake. Just use a 50cm x 80cm strip of cloth, sew 10cm wide tubes (measured flat) on each of the long sides and leave a 10cm strip between, which you can then slide under the door. This should make it easy to open and close the door, providing it’s a smooth surface rather than carpet.