Warm Up Drafty Rooms with Draft Blockers

One of the most annoying problems that face a homeowner or renter is a drafty doorway. In the big picture, they are nowhere near as serious as plumbing or structural issues, but a drafty building is uncomfortable and inefficient; two things nobody wants. Sometimes, the source of a draft isn’t even restricted to the room where it is felt, as they can cut across homes, one room to another. When the problem is found to originate from a door, an easy solution is a draft blocker; a simple tubular slide-on system that blocks the movement of unwanted air.

There are two basic types of draft blockers. One involves two cylinder-shaped pads filled with stuffing materials like polyester, cotton, or foam, attached by a section of material slightly wider than the door’s thickness. These slide under the bottom of the door, placing a draft cylinder on both sides. The cylinders are large enough to keep the stopper in place, and ensure quiet door movement as it opens and closes. This works well for interior doors that don’t require thresholds, but exterior doors often require more substantial work, with framing and thresholds preventing this style of draft stopper from being implemented.

The simpler type of blocker is a one-sided draft stopper that rests against the base of the door. Made of dense materials like expanded polystyrene foam beads, these stoppers block air by forming around the gaps present in the door frame. Eliminating the draft in a room not only improves personal comfort, the building’s heating and cooling system isn’t forced to work as hard keep temperatures consistent. In short, stopping drafts saves you money, so the next time you feel a breeze where it doesn’t belong, don’t put on another sweater, get a draft blocker.