Hi. I really do need some help on this. I'm also new on here so be kind please. Right this is the problem. I have a draft coming down the stairs, it's so bad that when I put a candle on the stairs it very nearly blows it out. Its a semi but the stairs are in the middle, so no outside walls. All rooms upstairs have draft excluders fitted. No room up stairs shows any signs of draft. The loft hatch is in the bathroom and no draft from there either. When all doors upstairs are closed the draft is still there. It's so bad you can feel it on your face when you walk upstairs. The stairs have a brand new carpet and underlay. All the skirting boards and stair rails have no gaps. Please if you can give me any ideas on what to check next I would be very grateful. Paul
Please help with a draft problem. It's driving me crazy
- Thread starter paullewis1963
- Start date
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welcome mate.....seems like your checking everything. Do you have any radiators on any of the walls in the area you taking about? could be a hole in the wall where a rad has been changed and its coming from the cavity in the walls......also whats the room under the stairs? come be coming through the stair carpet form the room below. Are there large gaps under any of the upstairs door. Just ideas. try wetting your hand and using the cold air blowing onto that as a guide. Might put you in the right direction better than the candle. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the reply, gives me a chance to add some more info. No rads upstairs on the landing, so that rules that out. No drafts from the cupboard under the stairs. No large gaps under the doors. See I said it was driving me crazy. Will try the wetting hand trick though, thanks.
a ghost? 
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Low temperature upstairs? Warm rooms downstairs?
That usually creates drafts = warm air rising up.
Do you notice it only in winter or over the whole year?
That usually creates drafts = warm air rising up.
Do you notice it only in winter or over the whole year?
do you have a loft hatch at the top of the stairs?
is the roof felted?
are there any chimneys on the property?
is the roof felted?
are there any chimneys on the property?
I did wonder if it was caused by hot air rising. It is a fair draft though and I'm not convinced warm air hitting cold air would that, but maybe it can.
The loft hatch is in the bathroom and no drafts from there. The roof is a new roof and felted, there is one chimney that runs through one of the bedrooms upstairs but when that door is shut I still get the draft coming down the stairs, so I don't thinks it's that either. It'd doing my head in though
It could be!!! Can't think what else it might be.a ghost?
Do you keep the heating in upstairs rooms at a minimum? A good test would be to turn them on of a bit higher and see if that changes things?
Thanks. I will try that later today and let you know.
Paul - convection current. Not only does hot air rise but cold air drops (you said the "draft" comes down the stairs). How well is your loft insulated? Inadequate insulation will mean cold ceiling at top of stairs therefore cold air up there which then 'drops' down the stairs. So the solution might be to insulate dear boy, insulate.
But don't ask the 'Warm Front' to help out - now there's a Cowboy Government scheme!
(Melinda should look into this)
(Melinda should look into this
)
Any progress in eliminating the draft?
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