Curtains & Blinds

 

Windows let a huge amount of heat in and out of a home. With good building design, glazing and shading you can reduce the impact of the windows but another positive impact on the comfort level of your home is the installation of curtains and blinds.

Window coverings help to reduce the demand for artificial lighting, heating and air conditioning and are probably the most significant non-structural contribution you can make towards home climate control. Opaque blinds or curtains offer total sun blockout while those with a more open weave let in more light. Modern solar shades offer visual transparency while also cutting down on glare, heat and light. Blinds and curtains also help to reduce heat gain and loss by trapping air in an insulating layer between the window pane and the covering.

Also of considerable importance for effective insulation is the use of pelmets above the curtains. On windows without pelmets, the air against the glass rapidly cools and sinks to the floor, producing a convection current that draws warm air from near the ceiling down across the glass, rapidly cooling it and wasting the heat it contains. This airflow can be considerable and can waste a great deal of heat. A pelmet that meets the wall, positioned across the top of the curtains, will greatly reduce this airflow and the subsequent heat loss.