Diy Mail Slot Draft Stopper

I thought I would try doing a little window draft stopper DIY. With a small piece of fabric and a few plastic bags, I was able to sew together a simple way to save our family energy and money this winter. Plus, this project has the added bonus of using up old plastic shopping bags. How to Make a Draft Stopper. Draught proofing DIY tips - Duration. 17 CREATIVE DIY DRAFT STOPPERS TO KEEP YOUR HOME WARM. Bandq 249,386 views. Installation - Draft Dodger Insulated Mail Slot - Duration: 7:29. Mark the height. Use a measuring tape to measure up from the bottom of the door to the center point at the height you've chosen. Now measure that same distance a few inches to left and right of the center point. The three guide marks will ensure the mail slot is level.

Draft stoppers — also called draft blockers, draft dodgers or door/window snakes — are simple. They’re tubes made of fabric and filled with an insulating material. You place them at the base of your windows or doors, where most energy leaks happen. Making your own draft stopper is a fun, simple DIY project that took me less than an hour. Installation instructions for an Elite Model DraftDodger™ Insulated Mail Slot.

Diy Mail Slot Draft Stopper Projections

No really, I’m serious. What could be the longest running international joke between the US and those Canucks to the North is an actual bona fide product. It would be like West Virginia creating an outhouse that played dueling banjos while you went, and calling it the “Deliverance Model”. Whether it was poor (or good) commercial sense to name Canadian-produced insulated mail slots Draft Dodgers is up to you, but its design is pretty cool.

These mail slots come in two halves that are adjustable to complement doors 1 9/16 inches to 3 1/8 inches. However, as with most things in life a little engineering can make these mail slots fit any door or wall size. I recommend T-Rex duct tape, which you learn about in a later post, but the Draft Dodger distributer has their recommendations as well.

What sets the Draft Dodger apart from ordinary mail slots is their insulation and dirt stopping barrier. Both interior and exterior flaps are insulated with seals to keep the cold air out of the house and the hot air in. Not only are these mail slots insulated with seals around the flaps but also with a thick layer of brushes between the two flaps. This added line of defense keeps dirt, air and peeping Tom’s (or in my case Jane’s) out. It has more defense and filtering agents than the pentagon, or so wikileaks seems to suggest.

The body of the Draft Dodger is made up of heavy duty plastic, and, protected metal flaps help keep rust at bay. Top that off with nylon torsion rods which double as springs for the flaps and you’ve got a sealed insulated mail slot that can handle those fierce Saskatchewan winters and even those not so fierce in Palm Beach Florida.

Draft Dodgers come in two models and two sizes: The Sleeveless Surface Mount and the ELITE Draft Dodger (also known as the ….well I leave that blank to avoid any uproar). Both of these come in regular letter size but the Elite also comes in a magazine size, which is 1 3/8 inches wider. You also get 6 more color choices with the Elite and a larger swing of about 35 degrees on the flap. The Draft Dodgers web site looks like it’s still a work in progress (the photos section has moderately creepy teen and surfing dog photos), but the site does provide the basics on both models and their finishes. The cost is a modest 35 dollars for the Sleeveless and starting out at 47 dollars for the ELITE model. With prices like these we could all afford to dodge the draft.

Want a simple way to make heating your home more efficient and less pricey? Make sure all those gaps where hot air escapes and cold air invades are closed-up! One of the most persistent culprits is the gap beneath a door, and the most popular solution is, of course, a draft stopper.

You don’t need to run out to the store for an expensive stopper or even for materials to make a DIY one. All you need are some old tights, leftover wrapping paper tubes, and this video from our friends at Rumble.

This DIY should only take a few minutes of your time and you should be able to make this project for free, if you have these three simple materials already hanging around the house.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

How to Make a DIY Draft Stopper

Materials

• Two cardboard tubes
• Old tights
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Lay out your pair of old tights and use your scissors to cut off one of the legs.
2. Line your two cardboard tubes next to each other and pull the tights over them, stretching them all the way to the other side.
3. Tuck the ends of the tights into the cardboard tubes.
4. Slide the tubes under your door so that one tube is on each side.

If you’re struggling to get the tights to stay in place, we suggest just a little piece of tape. This should keep them tucked in and firmly in place; it’s not the biggest deal if the cardboard shows a little, but it definitely looks nicer with the black tights cover what’s underneath.

Diy Mail Slot Draft Stopper Box

The best part about this easy and cheap DIY is the idea of the two tubes. Admittedly, I was a little confused why there were two to begin with, but it makes sense once you see the final product.

Diy Mail Slot Draft Stopper Rounds

Having two tubes allows for you to block the under-door gap on both sides, really keeping your heat in and keeping cold air out. This is the most efficient way to keep your house from getting drafty and to reduce your heating bill.

And with the cardboard being so pliable, it’s super easy to wedge these tubes under the door, and then remove them when winter is over.

What do you think of this money-saving DIY? Do you have a different way of keeping heating bills down the colder months? Share your thoughts on this trick and your favorite projects in the comments section below.

Diy Mail Slot Draft Stoppers