Blocking up draughty external door from inside – best method?

[jonfow71]

I have an unused external timber door set in a single-skin Bath stone wall. I’m in a conservation area, so I can’t change the external appearance.

The door is very draughty (significant gaps between the door and frame), and I get condensation forming on the inside and dripping onto the floor.

The rest of the house is also single-skin stone, and a couple of years ago it was internally dry-lined with plasterboard (dot and dab).

I’d like to block/insulate this door from the inside only.

Constraints:

• External door must remain in place and operational (locked) for insurance purposes
• Ideally a reversible solution (so future owners could reinstate the door easily)
• Door is uneven/warped with a protruding latch

Proposed approach:

• Fit PIR insulation board internally over the door (or within a simple timber frame)
• Seal all edges with expanding foam / foil tape
• Finish with plasterboard or OSB

Questions:

• Is it better to fix insulation directly onto the door, or build a small stud frame?
• Should I fully seal behind the insulation or allow any ventilation?
• Do I need a vapour control layer, or is foil-backed PIR sufficient?
• Any risks of trapping moisture/causing damp given the existing dot-and-dab walls?
• Best way to deal with the latch and uneven surface?

Thanks in advance.

 

[motorbiking]

I'd be more focused on insulating the door rather than boxing it in. You risk the door rotting. Have you tried all the usuals like draught excluder or even a curtain over the door?

I wonder also if it would be possible to place a removable hood on the outside of the door, made to look like a door.