Do I need StopGap?
I’ve had the living room floor in my Edwardian terraced house stripped and it looks a million dollars. The only trouble is – we can’t live in it between October and April. Why is it so cold? The problem is GAPS! Wooden floors have lots of them. If you add up all those gaps you’ll find that the average room has a total gap area of 50 x 50cm – equal to a wide-open window.
My floor has just been finished and looks gorgeous. Can StopGap prevent the terrible draughts without spoiling the appearance too much? Yes, StopGap is hardly detectable when fitted.
There are black lines on the underside of my carpet underlay and carpet. Do I need StopGap? This is dirt left by the movement of air up through the gaps. StopGap will combat the problem.
There are black lines around the edges of my carpet and the hoover can’t reach them, what do I do? These are caused by the carpet acting as an efficient filter and collecting the dust from the air as it passes through the gap between the skirting board and floor. The answer is to seal off these gaps with neutral StopGap.
The gaps in my floor are irregular and some are very wide. Help! Don’t worry. StopGap has been engineered to work in gaps from 1 to 8mm.
The only methods I’ve been able to find for sealing my floorboard gaps have involved messy sealants. Why is StopGap different? StopGap is a completely new way of sealing irregular gaps between boards (UK Patent). It has been engineered to be simple to fit, inexpensive, and to take day-to-day changes of temperature and humidity in its stride.
My boards have gaps on the Surface but if I try to push a knife into the gap, there seems to be a blockage a short distance down in the gap. Can I use StopGap? It sounds like you may have ‘Tongue & Groove’ instead of plain edged floorboards. StopGap is unsuitable for this type of floorboard. It is possible to get around this by removing all tongues with boards in situ by using a circular saw set to the correct depth of cut. This will leave regular gaps around 3mm wide, perfect for StopGap. This procedure is a bit drastic and will require reasonably advanced DIY skills or the services of a tradesman. But, when you’re desperate…
How much do I need?
How many packs of StopGap will I need for my room? An average (16sq metres) room will need two 40-metre rolls.
The StopGap maths challenge
- Count the total number of floorboards
- Measure the full length of a floorboard in metres
- Multiply together to get the total length of all gaps
- Divide total length by 40 to get number of 40m rolls required
Is it easy to fit?
Fitting is very straightforward – like posting a letter.
Will I have to take my furniture out of the room? No. Some items may need to be moved to one side temporarily.
Will I need tools? No! just a pair of scissors and old credit card.
Is any preparation needed before Fitting? It can make fitting easier if dirt and dust in the gaps are loosened. Use a thin plastic tool such as a knife or old credit card and then vacuum.
Does fitting involve the use of adhesives, solvents or other noxious substances? Definitely not, StopGap is specifically designed to be fitted dry.
Can anyone fit StopGap? Yes.
How long does it take to fit StopGap?
I need to do three rooms – will it take a long time? An average 3.5 x 3.5 metre room can be finished in under an hour.
How long after StopGap has been fitted should I wait before I replace my rugs? No need to wait. Your room can be back to normal in 60 minutes from start to finish – with absolutely no cleaning up.
Will it save me money?
What kind of return can I expect from my investment in StopGap? For most people, the most important result is that, at last, their room is comfortable. However, tackling draught could make substantial savings on heating costs. Depending on local factors, StopGap could pay for itself in as little as 12 months. Thereafter, you will save money year after year after year.
Can I use StopGap for anything else?
StopGap sounds great for floors but has anyone ever used it for other things? Yes. StopGap can be used almost anywhere there is a need to fill a gap temporarily or permanently. For example, to stop or reduce: draughts, dust, pollen, spiders, flies, light, heat, and noise.
Can StopGap help with draughts through my sash windows? Yes. Because StopGap does not use glue, in the spring it can simply be removed from the windows you frequently open, and re-used in the autumn. For this application, choose StopGap ‘neutral’, which is translucent.
Are there other advantages besides draughtproofing? StopGap can, for example, reduce nuisance smells from adjacent dwellings. It can also lower traffic fumes and noise where the under-floor void is ventilated to the outside near a road.
“I ordered it because we were getting cigarette smoke fumes from our neighbours through our floorboards. I installed your clever invention and it has put a total stop to any nasty smells. Thank you very much.” Maria
I use rolled up newspaper in my french doors, what’s wrong with that? Absolutely nothing, but StopGap is quicker to use and doesn’t get soggy when wet.
Can it be removed?
StopGap can be removed in minutes should you suffer an attack of nostalgia and long for those penetrating draughts.
What should I do when it’s time to renew the finish on my floor? It’s possible to remove and replace the StopGap to avoid the possibility of damage by solvents. This should not be necessary with water-based floor coatings. During this process, some damage to the strip may occur depending on the condition of your boards and the presence of sharp edges or nails. Lengths of damaged strip will need to be replaced with new.
Is it available in other colours?
I have painted my floor, is StopGap available in colours? StopGap is hardly visible in use so no matching is really necessary but for light coloured floors you may prefer StopGap ‘neutral’, which is translucent.
What alternatives are available?
I’ve been told I can fill my floorboard gaps with Papier-mache. This material is free – why should I spend money on StopGap? Best advice is to ask someone who has used this method before you decide. You’ll probably find it takes days, is very messy and will need sanding afterwards.
What’s wrong with sawdust mixed with glue? Nothing, but it takes ages, it won’t accept the floor coating, it will shrink and fall out within months, it’s (very) messy and it has to be sanded.
Why can’t I just use wood filler? You can, but manufacturers specifically exclude its use for floorboards.
Isn’t the proper solution to take up the whole floor and re-lay the boards tight to one another? Yes. That’s fine as long as you remembered to do it before you sanded the floor. If not, StopGap is the answer.
| Messy | Time Consuming | Aesthetically Unacceptable | Expensive | Unsuitable for finished floors | |
| Papier-mâché | X | X | X | X | |
| sawdust and glue | X | X | X | X | |
| mastic/silicone | X | X | X | X | X |
| wood “slivers” | X | X | X | X | |
| re-lay floorboards | X | X | X | X |
I’ve heard there’s another product on the market called GAPSEAL that is very similar to StopGap. Is this true? Yes, it’s true. For a period, we authorised another company to market a re-named, exact copy of StopGap, called GAPSEAL. It was discontinued in March 2010.
I previously bought a product called GAPSEAL and need more but can no longer find it on sale, what do I do? Simply order StopGap (See answer above.)
What about delivery?
How long will I have to wait after placing my order? All online orders received by 3 pm will be sent by first class post or airmail the same day.
My partner and I are both at work from 8am to 6pm. Can we arrange for a delivery at some other time? No need. Single or double packs of 40 metre rolls of StopGap will fit through a standard size letterbox (250 x 38 mm). If you prefer, you can nominate a different delivery address.
I’m out at work all day and I want more than one roll. What do I do? If your letterbox is OK (see above) simply email us as soon as you have ordered and tell us you want delivery in multiple parcels (no extra charge).
Ventilation
I have been told that my floor must be ventilated. How will fitting StopGap affect this? Fitting StopGap will have the same effect as laying carpet. Adequate ventilation will have been provided when the house was built and will not depend on movement of air through the floorboard gaps. You should ensure that the ventilation grilles or air bricks in your outer walls are clear of dirt, debris, garden soil or plant material.
My room has a gas fire. Will sealing the gaps cause a problem? Adequate ventilation is vital for certain gas appliances. If the only change is that you have taken up a carpet then this should not have affected ventilation. If in doubt, For your safety, you should consult a qualified gas engineer to advise on how to ensure correct ventilation without suffering the misery of a draughty floor.
Tongue and Groove floorboards
I have tongue & groove boards which are very draughty, can I use StopGap? StopGap is unsuitable for this type of floorboard. It is possible to get around this by removing all tongues with boards in situ by using a circular saw set to the correct depth of cut. This will leave regular gaps around 3mm wide, perfect for StopGap. This procedure is a bit drastic and will require reasonably advanced DIY skills or the services of a tradesman. But, when you’re desperate…
These comments are hilarious. I shall buy your product on the basis of this alone.
“Can it be removed?
StopGap can be removed in minutes should you suffer an attack of nostalgia and long for those penetrating draughts.”
Brilliant.
Thanks Charlotte. We at Stopgap think stopping gaps is a serious business but we try to make sure this doesn’t prevent us from having a giggle. Thanks again. May your home be forever draught free. Best wishes, Marcus.
Hi. I want to use stopgap in a first floor room. The room below has downlights in the ceiling which get quite warm. Is StopGap fire proof?
Hi D
Thank you for your email. StopGap is made of polypropylene, which is combustible. The temperature at which it will ignite is 570 degrees Celsius, compared with timber at 190-260 degrees Celsius. In my opinion, it will not contribute significantly to the risk of fire. Where a fire does start, as the quantity of material (0.7Kg) used to draught-proof an average room will be negligible compared with that of highly-combustible timber of which the floor is made (several hundred Kg), in my opinion, StopGap will not significantly contribute to the fire.
Thanks again for your interesting enquiry, I hope this helps.
regards
Not a reply but couldn’t find where to put a question.
Can I use stopgap to fill the gap that has appeared between the floorboards & skirting board over the last 40 odd years?
Hi J
Thank you for your email. The answer is yes; Stopgap can be used to seal any gap between 1-8mm wide which is 10mm or more deep. This allows the10mm wide strip to completely disappear. It is therefore ideal for gaps between floorboards and floor. For this application, I’d recommend ‘neutral’, unless both floor and skirting board are dark in colour, in which case, brown is better.
Thanks again for your enquiry
regards
Freezing now in ‘new’, old 1919 bungalow. Will renovate and sand next year but for now need to survive the winter. Will this product have to be removed/re done before/ after sanding?
Thanks
Debbie
Thanks D for your enquiry. If you have the option, best advice is to complete sanding and finishing of the floor then fit StopGap after waiting a day or two for the finish to harden fully. If you prefer not to wait, it is possible to fit StopGap straight away and do the work on the floor later. The StopGap material will not react with most finishes but some may harden in the gap and impair the ability of the seal to expand and contract with movement of the floor over the seasons. If required, Stopgap can be removed. Inevitably, some will become damaged by the removal process due to splinters or sharp edges and will need to be replaced with new material. You may choose to buy a starter roll and experiment for yourself before making a decision.
Thanks again for your interest.
Hi
Love the site and your down to earth (funny) comments. Need advice re early 70′s estate house. Have ripped up disgusting inherited bedroom carpet and majority of floorboards are OK but some have irregular gaps of almost half centimetre.
I get the idea that StopGap goes down and prevents draughts but I actually want to paint the bedroom floor off-white. Surely the paint will just run down between the boards, or does your product sort of “fill” the gap as opposed to “sealing” lower down for draughts?
Hi Alison
Thanks for your comments and your enquiry. In a 70′s house, it’s possible your boards are tongue & groove type (T&G), for which StopGap is not suitable. You can easily check by inserting a credit card into the gap. If the card will go down only a short distance, around 5-6mm or 1/4 inch, then they are T&G. Otherwise, StopGap should be fine for your purpose and will seal gaps up to 8mm wide, adapting itself to varying widths. Best advice is to finish painting the floor, wait a couple of days for the paint to harden fully and then fit the Stopgap. Water based paint will be preferable. Oil paint is not recommended for use over a large area due to the the fumes given off. Some paint will run down in the gaps but will cause no harm.
Thanks again for your interest.
regards
Marcus
Thanks for the reply and sorry for appearing a bit dense, but … there is a void below the floorboards in bedroom of at least 6-8″ deep.
If Stopgap is simply “pushed down” with a credit card or something, surely it will just fall through/down into the void below?
Hi Alison
Thanks for your email. The floorboards will be supported by hefty timbers underneath, running at right angles and spaced every 400mm (16in) or so. The seal is pushed down until it is just in contact with these supports. Although thin, when folded, the seal becomes quite rigid and so does not sag between the supports. I hope this helps.
regards
Hi there
I was wondering how effective stop gap is at stopping noise coming through floorboards? Obviously its not going to be a complete soundproofing solution, but how much effect does it have? Any idea of effectiveness in Db? Could it be used in combination with another product to increase the noise reducing effect? I’m trying to avoid going down the route of acoustic sealant between the boards…
thanks!
Hi Mike
Thank you for your very interesting question. I am unable to give you
an answer in Db. I’m told that people building sound studios are
painstaking in preventing gaps by overlapping rebates in the door
openings etc. I assume this is intended to avoid sound carried
directly on air currents. On that basis, StopGap should make a useful
difference to the level of noise from the room below. It will not
affect the noise of, for example, people walking on the floor above.
Many StopGap customers use it before a conventional flexible filler to
prevent its loss through the gap before it sets. This combination may
have more effect.
Thanks again for your interest.
regards
I have a first floor bathroom floor I am sanding will stop gap create a water tight seal and protect the ceilings below for many years to come?
Hi Graham
Thanks for your question. The answer is that StopGap draught seal is made from plastic and is suitable for wet areas. It is designed to stop draught so is not guaranteed to be liquid-proof but, in the event of a spillage, will limit or slow down the passage of liquid through gaps. In practice, over 5 years use in our own bathroom, we have found that it deals very well with the occasional deluge from a 1908 roll top bath.
Hello, we have a really powerful vacuum cleaner, will it not just suck all the stopgap right back up from between the floorboards?
Hi Rachel
Good question! thank you. The answer is no – it’s Dyson-proof.
Hello Marcus
We would like to know how effective Stop Gap is from preventing light penetration from halogen downlighters under the floorboards of a first floor bedroom from the room below? At the moment the gaps let in long strips of light when the room is dark, illuminating all manner of fluff etc in the void below?
We are anxious to get rid of this altogether and intend to paint the floorboards white.
Any comments will be much appreciated. Thank You!
Hi May
Thanks for your query. Brown colour StopGap will help but, when the seal is fitted, a very narrow white line is created where the polypropylene is folded. This may allow some light through. The only sure way is to try it for yourself. Please email your postal address and we will send a sample first class. If you can give us some feedback, it will be helpful to others to know how you get on and we can add it to our expanding knowledge base on the website. Brown colour looks fine in white floors because it sits in the shadow at the bottom of the gap.
Thank you again for your interest in StopGap.
regards
Marcus
Hi,
I have some very narrow, and some very wide gaps between floorboards. What are the minimum and maximum widths that StopGap will work in? I can’t seem to find that info anywhere…
Thanks,
Nick
Hi Nick
Thanks for your enquiry. StopGap will seal gaps between 1mm (credit card thickness) and 8mm (pencil thickness). Gaps narrower than 1mm can be ignored as they are narrow enough to be permanently filled with fluff. The gap needs to be 10mm or more deep so that the seal can be pushed out of sight. This makes it ideal for many gaps around the house in addition to those between floorboards, such as between skirting and floor in all rooms, including those with carpet. Gaps widwer than 8mm will need a cylindrical foam seal – please email for details of sizes and price.
Regards Marcus
Hello,
Can stop gap be filled up with resin and sawdust? Will it hold the weight or will it squeeze down through the wood gaps eventually?
Regards,
Aitor
Thanks for your question, StopGap is fine for this purpose. When folded into a ‘V’ shape, the seal becomes stiff and is able to support the weight of filler while it sets. This method can avoid wastage of expensive filler.
SLUGS! That’s what I’m planning to stop with this…SLUGS! (Although stopping the icy blast from a January morning will I expect be a welcome additional benefit)
Hi Jim
What a great idea! It may be that this purpose has been tested before and it’s also possible that StopGap has excluded armies of slugs since it was launched eight years ago. But, we haven’t heard about it. So, Jim, it’s over to you to keep everyone informed of developments in this intriguing experiment.
Last week’s major Stopgap slug offensive has radically reduced the night-time activity of the slimy enemy – but only the battle has been won – not the war. The sticky devils must have been watching me, waiting and planning, for on Sunday morning a solitary slimy trail was again to be found snaking its icky way across the dining room rug…The enemy mocks me, he is clever, resourceful and has limitless numbers of fighters, but I will prevail…oh, yes…I have at least 15 metres left, I will find that hidden gap, and I WILL prevail… (By the way, the room’s a lot warmer…!
Hi, I just placed my order but I have a question about fitting. If two adjacent floor boards have different sized gaps, do I cut to the end of the one and then start again at the next floorboard, overlap the narrower into the wider or just do it as one continuous length?
Over the years it seems the floorboards have been up and down so many times and never put back neatly that every board has this problem!
Hi Sarah
Thanks for your email. Using one continuous length is fine, or you can snip one side of the ‘V’ exactly on the join between boards, which will allow the seal to expand to fit perfectly. A bit of experimentation should make clear which side to snip. If not, let me know. Thanks again for your contribution, which will be helpful to others.
Hello, StopGap sounds like the perfect solution to my draughty floorboard problem – unfortunately, I live in Canada. Do you know if your product is available on my side of the ocean? …or failing that, do you ship overseas orders? Thanks Rob Turner, London Ontario.
Hi Rob
Thank you for your enquiry and I apologise for the slow reply. The miracle of technology enables us to battle the curse of draughty gaps on a global basis! So, you order StopGap from your armchair, and we deliver it. By air. Simple. Thanks again for your interest.
Have you got a picture of the brown coloured stopgap, so I can decided which colour is best for my floor?
Thanks
Joe
Hi Joe
Thanks for your email. You can see the seal here: http://stopgaps.com/home/cimg3172/ Brown is best for all floors because the seal sits in the shadow at the bottom of the gap.
regards Marcus
Hi
I have tried filling the gaps in my floorboards with polyfilla or similar. I was thinking of purchasing stopgap and then adding polyfilla on top of the stopgap so that the gaps are less visible.
Do you think this would work?
Thanks
Hi James
Thanks for your email. The short answer is yes, StopGap will prevent the filler from falling through while it sets. Before you take the plunge, I would research suitable flexible fillers suitable for this purpose, as one which sets hard will not allow the boards to move with the seasons. As you know, wood is continuously expanding and contracting across the grain with changes in the amount of moisture in the air. StopGap is designed to allow this while maintaining a good seal against movement of air. A rigid filler will interfere with this action. The filler can also separate from one or other side leaving a visible gap!
In these times of rising energy costs it pays to carry out a ‘gap survey’ of your home. ‘The only good gap is a stopped gap’. StopGap is ideal for most draughty gaps around the home, for example, between the floor and the bottom of the skirting board. This can also be important in carpeted rooms where the incoming current of air can deposit a neat black line of dirt around the perimeter of a nice light coloured carpet, just where the Dyson can’t get at it. There are many other places where StopGap can come to the rescue. In fact, it can be used to stop any gap between 1 and 8mm wide and more than 10mm deep. Finally, remember StopGap carries a no-quibble, money-back guarantee. That means that if you are not happy with the product when you use it, simply send back the unused material and we will refund the cost. I hope this gives you the answers you are looking for. If not, please let me know by email or call me.
I have a number of rooms with stripped floorboards with large pieces of furniture installed above. Do you recommend using the product only in the exposed gaps, or is there some way to thread it underneath, or am I going to have to find some way to shift enormous bookcases and wardrobes?
Hi Ian
Thanks for your question, which I’m sure will be helpful to others. I would fit StopGap to every gap you can reach. If some gaps cannot be treated, you will still enjoy proportionate benefits in heating cost reduction and increased comfort. StopGap becomes stiff when folded ready to insert so it is possible you could push it into place beneath furniture but this will be subject to trial and error. Thanks again for your enquiry.