Draughts is a problem which has plagued majority of households in the UK. It is a serious problem which not only causes damage to the physical construction but also causes great inconvenience to the people living in the house. The room temperature of the house drops considerable. This in turn put a huge amount of pressure on the heater. The heater works with more force and thus uses more fuel. And with more usage, there is aggravation of the already worsening energy crisis. At the same time when there is a crunch in the global economy, increasing heating bills puts the user in a tight spot.

It is known fact to all of us that hot air rises. As the molecules in the air gain kinetic energy due to heat, they spread away from each other and hence the air rises. So if we need conserve heat in our house, priority should be given to insulate the upstairs ceilings, roof or both.

The best way to save heating costs as well maintain the heat in the house is by draught proofing of the windows. Generally speaking, £20 worth of DIY self-adhesive rubber draught stripping is enough to meet the draught proofing demands of your house. These takes although not very strong are able to serve the purpose for a few weeks. And this is exactly what you need. No flashy or costly. Just a cheap and effective way to keep your house nice and warm. And repeating the taping once in two or three months is not a difficult task at all.

But many times, another option is available for us. And that is to remove the original timber windows and replace them with plastic ones. This is because it is supposed that plastic windows are tighter and have high productive life. Also, many say that the old timber windows responsible are ill fitting and hence draughty.

But going by the general opinion it can be said that it is always more preferable and economical to get the old timber windows overhauled and draught proofed rather than removing them. And those who say that plastic windows are maintenance free are completely wrong. Many users of plastic windows complained of scratched surfaces and thus want to paint them. Also, there is constant need for replacement of handles, hinges and catches with these plastic doors. And many a times, these door companies suddenly disappear from the face of the earth. In addition to this, many users suffer from premature misting between the two panes. So is this what you call maintenance-free?

So you want to go for draught proofing depends on the duration for which you wish to hold on to the existing property and the size of your windows. With the increasing energy prices and technological improvements, the option of double glazing seems to be a better one but study neatly and you will find that it is still the costlier option. Actually, even today, double glazing will cost you twice as that of draught proofing and it has a payback period of 12 to 15 years which is quite high. So on a personal note, prefer draught proofing and nice decorative windows.