Have windows that keep letting draughts into your home? In this guide, we’ll explore some of the low-cost solutions that may solve your problem windows. After all, the cost of replacing glass on windows is likely to land between £55 and £200, with the price of a full window replacement going even higher. Therefore, using affordable solutions can really pay off. Let’s dive in!

Maintain Locks and Hinges

Thankfully there are steps you can take to better maintain your windows’ locks and hinges. This can prevent issues from arising and potentially fix existing problems, although other solutions may be required in the latter.

It’s important to clean and lubricate window hinges about twice a year. This can prevent rust from accumulating and allow you to inspect them (e.g., confirm that window hinges have not become unaligned, causing gaps to emerge). If you notice substantial gaps between a window and its frame, new hinges may be required. 

You should also inspect your locks at least twice a year. You may find that locks simply require tightening. This can be done by tightening the lock screws. Please follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure you tighten window locks correctly. Naturally, this approach can be totally free.

Fit Self-adhesive Draught Strips

A common method of fixing draughty windows DIY involves applying self-adhesive draught strips (a.k.a. Weather seals). Following the manufacturer’s instructions, fit these between windows and their respective frames. 

Thankfully, draught strips cost approximately £3 per roll. When purchasing draught strips, ensure you pick the right colour (if possible) to match your window frame and choose one of the right sizes for your window. After all, draught strips too small can enable gaps to persist, allowing draughts to still enter, whereas if the strips are too big, they can become squashed, making it impossible for your window to close properly.

Caulk or Silicone

You can also use caulk or silicone to seal gaps and, therefore, draught-proof windows without (hopefully) needing to resort to full window replacements. On average, caulking or adding silicone to a window DIY will cost around £10 to £15.

With a silicone gun, you can apply caulk or silicone to gaps between the wall and window frames. It’s important to remove old/flaky sealant and paint and clean windows with sugar soap, and dry off afterwards before applying caulk or silicone.

You might also want to apply caulk or silicone to the joins in and surrounding each window frame in need of attention.

Revitalise Glazing Putty

Another option to consider is to revitalise glazing putty. While glazing can work well for a long time, once the glazing putty seal cracks, it will lose its ability to work effectively. This job is likely to cost between £5 and £15.

Following the manufacturer’s instructions, replace the old glazing putty. To remove old putty, you’ll need to heat it cautiously while wearing gloves before scraping it off. Then, you can add the new glazing putty. Again, though, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. If in doubt about this job or any of the solutions suggested in this guide, hire a professional.

Window Film

Lastly, you might also want to look into window film. If you have single-glazed windows, this may be the best option. Per the manufacturer’s instructions, you can just add the window film to the surface of your windows to limit draughts entering and thus keep the heat in more effectively. Window film generally costs somewhere in the region of £4 to £8 per square foot.