Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Architrave simply covers the joint created by a door frame (the door lining) and the surrounding wall surface. There are many styles available, and most people match the profile/design of their architrave with the skirting board in the room. Fitting architrave is a very straightforward job, with the only potentially tricky part being that you need to cut accurate mitred joints for the corners. Old architrave can normally be prised off with a claw hammer. read more »

Door surrounds were traditionally made from plaster, and offer a more decorative or ornate option to wooden architrave. You can still buy traditional plaster surrounds or you can choose the modern, more lightweight alternatives – as shown below. Door surrounds are normally supplied in kit form, which you then cut to fit your door/entrance size. read more »

Draught excluding isn’t confined to the edges of doors and windows, in fact two other places where draughts can be a problem are in the middle of a door – the letter box and the keyhole. Letter boxes have purpose made draught excluders that are simple to fit in place, and keyholes can be draught-proofed by fitting door escutcheons following the very simple procedure shown below. read more »

Front or back doors can be better draught-proofed simply by fitting draught excluders around the door frame. Because most front doors open inwards, these excluder strips are normally positioned on the outside frame. Designs vary, the one shown below is basically made of a metal strip that holds a rubber seal which fits tightly against the door when it is in a closed position – therefore stopping any draughts from entering the house. read more »

Something as simple as fitting a brush draught excluder can make a big difference in keeping a room much warmer. They are relatively inexpensive and can be fitted in a matter of minutes. Brush draught excluders are most commonly fitted along the bottom of a door, as shown below, but there are also self-adhesive draught excluders that are effective around the frame of a door or window opening, as well as other designs that are commonly fitted around the frame of an exterior door. read more »