It’s fairly common to seal a draught and then notice it creeping back again a few days or weeks later. Even when the windows and doors have been checked, the room can still feel colder than expected, especially during the evening or early morning. In most cases, the draught hasn’t actually returned from the same place — there are usually several smaller gaps in a home, and blocking one often makes another become more noticeable.
One situation that causes this is movement within the building materials. Timber frames, older door linings and window surrounds can shift slightly with temperature changes. When that happens, a gap that was sealed well can loosen just enough to allow a thin line of air through. Re-sealing it usually helps, but it’s just as important to check the areas immediately around it, because air often travels through the path of least resistance.
Another reason draughts seem to return is that warm air naturally finds the coldest exit point in a room. Once the obvious gaps are blocked, the airflow redirects itself to smaller or less noticeable openings. I’ve seen this happen around loft hatches, under internal doors and behind pipe boxing. These areas don’t always feel like obvious draught sources at first, but once the main gap is closed, the movement of air becomes easier to sense from elsewhere in the room.
Ventilation spots can play a part as well. Some homes have older vents that were installed long before modern insulation standards were introduced. These vents can allow cold air into the house if they aren’t fitted correctly. They still need to function for safety reasons, but reducing unwanted drafts around them can be done with the right kind of sealing material that doesn’t interrupt airflow. Checking around extractor fans and chimney breasts can also reveal places where cold air moves in more freely than it should.
Floorboards are another area where draughts can travel. Even when the windows and doors are well insulated, gaps between boards or around skirting edges allow airflow from below the room. This is especially noticeable in older properties where the floor void beneath the ground floor is exposed to outdoor temperatures. Sealing the gaps with the correct filler and improving insulation under the boards makes a noticeable difference to how evenly the room holds heat.
Once the main draught paths are reduced, the heating system usually feels more effective, and the room stays warm for longer without needing to turn the boiler up. Dealing with draughts is one of the simplest ways to improve energy efficiency, and it often makes a bigger difference than changing the heating settings themselves. If you’re looking to reduce heat loss around the home in a more complete way, this guide ties everything together: How to Keep a UK Home Warm for Cheap (Complete Guide).
