It’s common to seal a draughty door or window and then notice cold air somewhere else. This doesn’t mean the fix failed. It usually means airflow has been redirected.
Air moves through homes in predictable ways. When one exit or entry point is blocked, pressure differences push air through the next easiest route. This can be floor gaps, stairwells, or unused fireplaces.
After testing this over winter, it became clear that gradual sealing works better than tackling one area in isolation. Each improvement reduces overall airflow, even if it exposes the next weakest point.
This is why a whole-house approach, as outlined in this guide, tends to give better results than one-off fixes.
If you’re noticing cold air moving between floors or rooms, this article and this one explain why airflow behaves this way.
