Draught Proofing London: Cost, Process and What's Included

Draught proofing in London seals the gaps around windows, doors, letterboxes, loft hatches and floorboards that let cold air in and heat escape. A two-person team usually finishes an average terraced house in half a day to a full day, and the work typically costs £400 to £700 depending on the number of openings and whether original sash windows are involved. Most households notice warmer rooms and a quieter house within the first cold week. Prices are a guide only, so contact us for an exact quote before booking.

On This Page

• What a Professional Draught Proofing Service Covers
• Draught Proofing Cost in London
• Signs Your Home Needs Draught Proofing
• Draught Proofing Sash Windows
• Draught Proofing vs Double Glazing
• Finding a Professional Draught Proofing Service
• The Mistake That Costs More Than It Saves
• Areas We Cover
• How to Book the Work
• Frequently Asked Questions

What a Professional Draught Proofing Service Covers

A professional draught proofing service is not one product applied everywhere. It is a survey followed by a mix of brush strips, compression seals, foam tape, draught excluders and sealant, chosen for each gap individually. A handyman surveying a Victorian terrace in Battersea or a mansion block flat in Marylebone will usually find draughts coming from five or six different sources, not one.

The standard scope covers sash and casement windows, external doors, letterboxes, keyholes, loft hatches, suspended timber floors (common in period houses across Clapham, Fulham and Putney), and unused chimneys or fireplaces. Modern flats in developments around Canary Wharf tend to have fewer floor and chimney issues but often leak around aluminium window frames and letterbox plates that were never properly fitted.

A proper survey takes 20 to 30 minutes before any work starts. If a tradesman quotes a flat price over the phone without seeing the property, treat that as a guess, not a quote. For a full breakdown of what a general handyman visit includes beyond draught proofing, see our handyman services in London page.

Draught Proofing Cost in London

Draught proofing cost in London varies with property age, the number of openings, and whether sash windows need specialist seals. The figures below are typical ranges. Always confirm a firm price after a survey rather than a phone estimate, since our standard handyman rate is about £100 per hour with a one hour minimum charge.

A one or two bedroom flat with no suspended floor and modern windows often finishes nearer £400. A four or five bedroom period house in Kensington or Hampstead with original sash windows throughout can run closer to £550 to £700 once every window, door and floor gap is sealed properly. Ask for a written breakdown by room, not a single lump figure, so you can see where the money is going. Prices are a guide only, so contact us for an exact quote for your property. For a wider view of how we price jobs by the hour or the day, our handyman hourly rate guide sets out the full rate card.

Signs Your Home Needs Draught Proofing

You can usually find the problem yourself before calling anyone. Hold a lit candle or a damp hand near window frames, door edges, letterboxes and skirting boards on a windy day. Movement in the flame, or a cold line on your hand, marks a draught.

• Curtains move slightly when windows and doors are closed
• One room is noticeably colder than the rest of the house despite the same heating
• You can hear outside noise clearly through a closed window, which often means the seal has failed, not just the glass
• Cold air at floor level in rooms with original timber floors, common in Edwardian and Victorian houses in Wimbledon and Dulwich
• Higher gas bills year on year despite no change in usage

If you are also planning new curtains or blinds, it is worth timing the two jobs together. Heavier lined curtains fitted properly add a second barrier against the exact draughts this service removes, and our curtain and blind fitting service in London is often booked in the same visit. Loose or gappy skirting boards are another common floor-level draught source worth checking at the same time, which our skirting board fitting service can repair or replace.

Draught Proofing Sash Windows

Sash windows are the single biggest source of heat loss in period London homes, and they are also the part most owners assume cannot be fixed without replacement. That is wrong in most cases. A proper sash draught proofing job fits brush pile seals into the running channels, a compression seal where the two sashes meet, and a seal along the bottom rail, without affecting how the window opens or its original appearance.

This matters in conservation areas across Chelsea, Notting Hill and Primrose Hill, where planning restrictions often prevent replacing original windows with double glazing anyway. Draught proofing the existing sashes is usually the only improvement allowed, and it is also considerably cheaper than new windows, from about £100 for a single window (our one hour minimum) against several hundred pounds per window for a full replacement. Where a sash window also needs joinery repair, such as a split cord or a warped frame, that work sits closer to our carpentry services in London than draught proofing alone, and the two are often quoted together.

Draught Proofing vs Double Glazing

Draught proofing stops air movement through gaps. Double glazing reduces heat transfer through the glass itself. They solve different problems, and most homes need both addressed, but not necessarily at the same cost.

In a lot of South Kensington and Belgravia flats, the original single glazed sashes are protected by conservation rules, so draught proofing is the more realistic and cheaper improvement available. In less restricted areas, both measures together give the biggest reduction in heating bills.

Finding a Professional Draught Proofing Service

A professional draught proofing service should survey your property before quoting, not price it over the phone. Ask what the quote actually includes room by room, whether sash windows are priced separately from casement windows, and whether the trade leaves permanent vents and air bricks alone. Any firm that cannot answer that last question on the spot has not thought about ventilation properly.

We work across London rather than one postcode, so if you have searched for draught proofing close to where you live, from Chelsea and Kensington to Wimbledon, Richmond and Islington, the same survey and pricing process applies wherever you are. Most jobs are booked within the week, and a standard terraced house is usually finished in a single visit by a two-person team.

The most expensive mistake: sealing every gap in the house, including trickle vents, air bricks and the gaps under suspended timber floors, with no thought given to ventilation. Older solid wall houses, common across Clapham, Battersea and Islington, rely on a certain amount of background airflow. Block it all and you get condensation on cold walls, mould on ceilings, and in the worst cases wet rot in floor joists that nobody notices until the floor feels spongy underfoot. Fixing rotten joists and treating damp after the fact routinely costs several times more than the heating bill you were trying to save.

Why Ventilation Matters as Much as Sealing

A competent draught proofing service leaves trickle vents and permanent air bricks alone, and only seals gaps that serve no ventilation purpose: window frames, door edges, letterboxes and unused chimneys. If your house has a damp or condensation history already, say so before work starts. It changes what should and should not be sealed. This is the one part of the job that separates a professional draught proofing service from someone with a tube of sealant and a free afternoon.

Areas We Cover

We carry out draught proofing across London, with particular experience in period properties around Chelsea, Kensington, Wimbledon, Knightsbridge, Mayfair and Belgravia, where original sash windows and solid wall construction are the norm. We also work regularly in Notting Hill, Holland Park, Fulham, Hampstead, Richmond, Marylebone, St John's Wood, Battersea, Clapham, Putney, Islington, Highgate, Primrose Hill, Barnes, Dulwich, Kew and South Kensington, plus newer flats around Canary Wharf where the issues tend to be letterboxes and frame seals rather than floors and chimneys.

If your property also needs loft insulation topping up alongside draught proofing, our loft boarding service in London is often combined into the same booking, since both jobs reduce heat loss and a loft hatch is one of the most commonly missed draught points.

How to Book the Work

We start with a short phone or video survey where you walk us through the problem rooms, then confirm a fixed price before anyone arrives. Most jobs are booked within the week, and a standard terraced house is usually finished in a single visit.

If other small jobs have built up around the house, such as a sticking door or a loose skirting board, it is worth mentioning them at booking. Our small jobs and odd job handyman service can often cover minor repairs in the same visit, which saves a second call out fee. For larger properties or whole house projects that also need general upkeep planning, our property maintenance service in London covers draught proofing as part of a broader seasonal schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does draught proofing cost in London?

A single window or door costs from about £100, our one hour minimum, and several windows in one visit are priced by time at about £100 per hour. A whole house package for an average three bedroom terrace, covering windows, doors, letterbox, loft hatch and floorboards, usually runs £400 to £600. Larger period houses with original sash windows throughout can cost £550 to £700. Prices are a guide only, so contact us for an exact quote.

Is professional draught proofing worth it?

Yes, for most London homes. It is one of the cheapest home improvements that produces a noticeable result, often within the first cold week. It also pays for itself faster than double glazing, since the cost per window is a fraction of the price, and it does not require planning permission in conservation areas, which covers much of Chelsea, Kensington and Notting Hill.

Can sash windows be draught proofed without replacing them?

Yes. Brush pile seals fitted into the running channels and a compression seal where the sashes meet remove most of the draught without altering how the window opens or looks. This is standard practice on period properties and is usually the only option allowed in conservation areas, where replacement glazing needs planning consent.

How do I find a professional draught proofing service close to me?

Look for a trade that surveys the property before quoting, prices by room rather than a single flat figure, and can explain how they avoid blocking trickle vents and air bricks. We cover the whole of London, including Chelsea, Kensington, Wimbledon, Richmond and Islington, with the same survey-first process wherever the job is.

How long does draught proofing take to complete?

A single window or door takes 15 to 45 minutes. A full house, including all windows, doors, letterbox, loft hatch and floorboards, usually takes half a day to a full day with a two-person team. The exact time depends on the number of openings and whether sash windows, which take longer per window, make up most of the work.

Do I still need draught proofing if I have double glazing?

Often yes. Double glazing reduces heat loss through the glass, but it does not stop air leaking around the frame, the letterbox, the loft hatch or gaps under the floor. Many homes with relatively new double glazed windows still have significant draughts from these other sources, which a draught proofing survey will identify.

Will draught proofing cause condensation or damp?

It can if done carelessly, specifically if trickle vents, air bricks or all floor ventilation are sealed up along with the draughts. Done properly, a draught proofing service only seals gaps that serve no ventilation purpose and leaves permanent vents untouched, which avoids the condensation and mould risk entirely.

Can I draught proof my home myself?

Basic jobs like letterbox brushes and door bottom seals are reasonable DIY tasks. Sash window seals and floorboard sealing are harder to get right without leaving gaps or damaging original joinery, and getting the ventilation balance wrong is the main risk with any DIY approach. For period properties in particular, a professional survey usually finds more draught sources than homeowners spot themselves.

How long does draught proofing last before it needs redoing?

Good quality seals on windows and doors typically last 10 to 15 years before the brush pile or compression seal wears down and needs replacing. Letterbox brushes and foam strips in high use areas may need refreshing sooner, often every 5 to 8 years, depending on how much the door or window is used.