What can I do to insulate the hallway?

For many homeowners in the Netherlands, the hallway is a place where cold and draughts converge. It is often the first room where outside air enters, and if the hallway is not properly insulated, that cold air flows effortlessly into your home. Not only does this make for an unpleasant welcome, but it also leads to unnecessarily high energy costs. How can you insulate your hallway and immediately enjoy noticeably more comfort? In this blog, you can read step by step how to do this, with special attention to one of the most underestimated sources of draughts: the letterbox. And that is precisely where the Homebox offers a structural, smart solution.

Insulating a hallway starts with sealing gaps, closing the front door properly and improving windows or walls. The biggest source of draughts is often the letterbox, and this is where the Homebox offers the most effective solution thanks to its fully insulated double flap. In combination with floor insulation, a draught excluder and a door closer, the cold stays in the hallway, your home stays warmer and your energy bill is significantly reduced.

The hallway acts as a buffer between outside and inside. If you can effectively keep the cold out of this space, the rest of the house will benefit immediately. Less draught means less heat loss and therefore lower heating costs. Simply sealing gaps and cracks can save an average household around 50 cubic metres of gas per year. In combination with turning down the heating by one degree, these savings can amount to approximately £240 per year. A draught-free hallway is therefore not only comfortable, but also financially attractive.

The first step in insulating the hallway is to locate any gaps. Check door frames, skirting boards, thresholds, the meter cupboard and cable ducts. Draught excluders, rubber strips, sealant and insulation foam help to make these openings airtight. These are affordable measures that have an immediate effect. After sealing the gaps, the hallway will immediately feel warmer, as cold air currents are stopped before they can spread throughout the house. In this blog, you can read how to seal large gaps in your front door. You can also read about the most underrated solution: a Homebox, the only draught-free letterbox.

The front door is often the biggest culprit. Draught strips around the frame and a good seal at the bottom with a threshold strip or draught brush are essential. You can also have the locks adjusted or consider a modern door with better insulation values. Even small openings such as keyholes and rattling letterbox flaps are surprisingly big heat guzzlers. We wrote a blog about making your front door draught free.

A letterbox in the front door seems harmless, but in reality it is a remarkably large source of draughts. Many homeowners recognise the cold air that blows in through the flap. A brush set helps, but often still lets some cold air through. If you really want to insulate structurally, choose a Homebox. We also wrote a blog about what you can do to prevent draughts through your letterbox.

Homebox: the smart letterbox solution for a draught-free hallway

The Homebox replaces the traditional letterbox opening and works with a double flap that closes completely airtight. A layer of still air is created between the inner flap and outer flap, which acts as natural insulation. The outer flap also contains high-quality insulation material. This transforms the letterbox from a draughty hole into an airtight and even sound-absorbing module.

Users often notice a temperature increase of 1.5 to 2.5 degrees in the hallway after installation. That difference shows how much heat is otherwise lost through the letterbox. The Homebox requires a slightly higher investment than a standard brush, but it does provide a permanently draught-free hallway, without noise, without rattling and without cold spots on the floor.

Many corridors have a crawl space under the floor. If this is not properly insulated, the floor will quickly feel freezing cold. An insulated crawl space hatch, supplemented with insulation material on the underside of the floor, prevents cold air from rising through the floor. This immediately increases comfort.

If the hallway borders an exterior wall or has single glazing, this can cause significant cold draughts. Cavity wall insulation or HR++ glass in windows and skylights prevent cold air from entering the hallway. Where replacing the glass is not an option, window film can provide a temporary solution.

A heavy draught excluder behind the front door stops cold air from spreading. A door closer ensures that the connecting door to the living room always closes, so you can really keep the cold in the hall. This simple system prevents unnecessary heat loss and increases living comfort.

• Milieu Centraal. (n.d.). Sealing gaps and cracks in the house.
• Essent. (n.d.). Heating and insulation tips for hallways and corridors.
• Karwei. (n.d.). Draught curtains and insulating curtains at the front door for energy savings.