An easy way to reduce the amount of heat lost from the building, is to keep it well maintained. You can find an interactive document at the bottom of the page to help you keep on top of your church building's maintenance.
Maintaining your roof
Ensuring your building is wind and water tight will help prevent draughts and leaks. The roof will be the main source of heat loss in the church, so it is essential that the roof is looked after, as well as the guttering.
Secondary glazing
Single-glazed windows are not effective insulators, and poorly fitted windows, or broken windows can increase the level of heat loss. Whilst double glazing is generally unsuitable for heritage buildings, in some instances it is possible to introduce secondary glazing.
Read more about secondary glazing here.
Draught proofing
Draught proofing your church can go a long way in improving the comfort of the people who use the building. Installing rugs, cushions/pew cushions and thermal curtains are cheap methods of heating surfaces. A more effective option, albeit more expensive would be to install a glazed internal door or draught lobby.
Learn more about draught proofing and different insulation options.
It is important to remember that tackling draughts or insulating your church building can exacerbate issues of damp and mould. Heritage buildings generally need to be well ventilated, so attempting to improve the thermal insulation of your church should only come after consulting our Church Building Adviser or heating experts who sit on the DAC.
Who to contact
If you have any questions regarding the information above, please contact our Environment team.