Curtains flared, a candle trembled, and the house felt like it was breathing in cold from the street. We’ve all had that moment where you tuck your feet under you on the sofa and still feel the chill nip at your ankles. I watched a scrap of receipt twitch on the floorboards like a tiny windsock, pointing straight at the problem. Not the boiler, not the walls. The gap under the door. A fix sat somewhere in the back of my mind, something I’d seen in a neighbour’s hallway and dismissed as a bodge. Then I found it again in the plumbing aisle, staring back with a £1.89 sticker. The fix was hiding in a plumbing aisle. I took it home, snipped it to size, and the room settled. Quiet, warm, almost smug. One small tube, one big difference. And it cost less than a sandwich.
The £2 hack that stops the chill dead
Here’s the thing a lot of people miss: plumbers’ foam pipe insulation is basically a ready-made draught-excluder. It’s a soft, closed-cell tube with a slit. Slide it where the air sneaks in, and the whistling stops. You can wedge it along the bottom of an internal door, press it into a wobbly window meeting rail, or line the frame of a loose back door. It doesn’t look fancy. It works. Pick up a metre for around £2 at Poundland, B&M, Screwfix or your local DIY shop, and you’ve got winter calm in a bag. **This is the quietest upgrade you can buy for the price of a bus fare.**
In a terraced rental in Leeds, a reader tried it on a draught that used to rattle the TV’s soundbar. He cut a 1m length, tucked it against the threshold, and used two tiny dots of painter’s tape to stop the tube rolling. The flame test told the story in seconds: the candle that once lunged sideways now stood still. No drama. He messaged me later to say the room felt “a degree or two kinder,” which sounds small until you’re living it. The Energy Saving Trust estimates simple draught-proofing can trim a typical gas-heated home’s bills by tens of pounds a year. That £2? It starts paying back the same night.
Why it works is pure physics you can feel. Cold air snakes in at low points and kicks off a convective loop, robbing heat from your ankles upward. Doors and frames move over time, leaving gaps that look tiny and act enormous. The foam tube compresses to fill that uneven space, making a soft seal that still lets the door move past if you place it on the floor side, not fixed to the door itself. It’s forgiving on old wood, kind to paint, and easy to tweak. Think of it as a removable gasket. No nails. No fumes. Just less wind inside your house.
How to make the £2 draught-excluder in ten minutes
You need one thing: a length of foam pipe insulation, 25–35 mm diameter, with a pre-cut slit. Cut it to match the width of your door. Lay it on the floor tight against the gap, slit facing the door, so the door’s lower edge lightly kisses the foam as it closes. If your floor’s slippery, add two pea-sized rolls of low-tack masking tape, hidden under the ends, or nestle the tube into a slim cardboard sleeve for grip. Test with a tissue or a lighter’s unlit flame: if it barely trembles, you’ve sealed it.
A few pitfalls are easy to dodge. Don’t over-trim; a slightly longer tube seals better than a perfect fit that leaves a sliver at one end. Don’t glue anything to a fire door, and never block vents feeding a gas boiler or solid-fuel stove. Clean dust off the floor edge or frame before placing foam or tape so it doesn’t skid. If the gap is huge, double up two tubes, stacked like sausages, with a strip of fabric or tape between them. Let’s be honest: nobody really does that every day. Once will do, and it holds.
People are often surprised by how immediate it feels. The room’s sound changes. You breathe warmer air, slower. That tiny bit of control in a cold snap is a balm, not just a fix.
“I spent £1.80 on pipe insulation and my hallway went quiet. It felt like I’d closed a window I didn’t know I had.”
Here’s a quick pocket guide to place next to your toolbox:
- Best spot: the door you feel the chill under most, usually the front or back door.
- Size up: choose foam that’s fatter than the gap; compression is your friend.
- Fast check: hold tissue to the gap before and after; you’ll see it.
- Keep safe: don’t block trickle vents, extractor fans, or flues. Ever.
- Rental-friendly: use low-tack tape or a friction fit, nothing permanent.
What this tiny fix changes — and why it sticks
Small wins make winter bearable. A quieter door means the hallway no longer behaves like a wind tunnel, which means you don’t crank the thermostat for the sake of your toes. The temperature graph in your house flattens a little. You notice you linger longer in the kitchen. You make tea and don’t sigh at the chill. **Comfort is a story told in inches and gaps.** And in the story of your home, the £2 chapter is unexpectedly uplifting.
| Key points | Detail | Reader Interest |
|---|---|---|
| What to buy | Foam pipe insulation, 25–35 mm, around £2 from DIY shops | Clear shopping list |
| Where to place it | Against door-bottom gaps or loose window meeting rails | Immediate, tangible result |
| Why it works | Creates a compressible seal, stopping cold air loops | Simple physics, quick payoff |
FAQ :
- Will this stop every draught in my home?No. It targets the worst offenders under doors and at loose window rails. Pair it with letterbox brushes and foam tape on frames for a fuller result.
- Is pipe insulation better than a fabric “snake” draught excluder?It seals more evenly for the price and doesn’t soak up spills. Fabric snakes look nicer, but the foam’s compression is hard to beat for £2.
- Can I stick it to the door?You can, with removable tape or Velcro-style strips, but many people prefer a floor placement that lifts away for cleaning or guests.
- Is it safe near gas appliances?Yes, if you keep it to doors and frames and do not block vents or flues. Draught-proof rooms; never starve an appliance of air.
- What if my gap is uneven?Choose thicker foam and let it compress at the tight end. For very wonky floors, score the underside with a knife so it settles flatter. **Ugly solves warm more than pretty does.**
