Composition front door leaks air

[matahari]

Help, I am COLD! My eleven year old, three-lock composition front door leaks the North wind straight into my front room where I sit. I think the draught excluding felt strip in the frame is worn, but also recently I had problems with locking the door, and the window/door repair company came out, tried to adjust it, said it was warped and could not be adjusted further and that I need a new door. I can't afford a new door!! They managed to get it to lock again, but now I am wondering if a) the draught excluder strip can be replaced, and by me, and b) will doing that affect the door itself so I won't be able to lock it again? A dreadful dilemma for a lady of a "certain age" on her own, with no one to call on for help. Any advice from you clever guys out there?

 

[footprints]

Basic old school cure was a heavy curtain works for us on the old Oak front door we have.

http://www.scottsofstow.co.uk/webap...inIndex=0&pageSize=48&searchTerm=door+curtain

We use a normal curtain pole as we have the room to the side but if space is difficult a Portèire rod can be fitted by any handy man/woman.

 

[matahari]

Thank you, footprints. I do have a heavy curtain up, which unfortunately doesn't reach to the floor, but I will look out for another one. What I have done is seal down the gap with parcel tape! It leaves marks when I take it off (removeable with WD40), and it's inconvenient when the postman or anyone else calls, but it does work. But I can't live like that! Is there any self-adhesive draught excluder I could attach to the edge of the door? I might have to improvise.

 

[footprints]

Have you looked in an ironmongers or DIY store lots of self adhesive draught excluder a around just a case of finding one that suits and does not cause problems closing the door.

 

[JohnD]

there is also the point that when a cold wind blows in, round the door, either your house is going to inflate like a balloon, or an equivalent amount of air is going to escape.

Have you got an open fireplace? Or an open-plan room? Or stairs leading out of it?

 

[matahari]

Thanks, footprints, some good ideas. Trouble is, our Wickes for example, you can't LOOK at draught excluders - you have to look in a catalogue and choose and some spotty sixteen year old kid goes and gets it. No advice any more, you have to guess. I bought some last year from there and it was useless.
Hi John, open fireplace with pillow in bin bag stuffed up chimney, not open plan, Victorian terrace house, front door opens from front room on to street, no porch, no corridor.

I am beginning to get an idea. Duct tape with the draught excluder stuck down half of it, down the edge of the door might do it ...

 

[JohnD]

A portiere rod and curtain can be very effective.

As you are not open plan, try draughtproofing the door out of that room and into the passage or kitchen or whatever.

You haven't got bare floorboards?

 

[matahari]

Hello John, no not bare floorboards, but my two elderly and not terribly well cats need to to be able to come and go. Litter trays and food bowls etc can't be confined to one room.

I do have some of those under-door tube things that keep draughts out. They're quite effective.

And a door curtain between kitchen and living rooms makes an astonishing difference.